noun
eddy
EHD-ee
noun
1
A swirl of water or air that spins in the opposite direction to the main flow around it.
"Leaves spun round and round in an eddy near the riverbank."
"A cold eddy formed where the two currents met."
verb
1
To swirl or circle back on itself, the way water or air does around an obstacle.
"Smoke eddied around the chimney before drifting off."
"Mist eddied through the valley at dawn."
How to Use Eddy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small circular current of water or air moving against the main flow.
Common pairings
a swirling eddy
eddy of wind
eddy currents
Word Forms
eddied past tense, eddies plural, eddies plural, eddys plural, eddies singular
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Leaves spun round and round in an _____ near the riverbank.
Etymology
From Middle English eddy, built from the old prefix ed- ("back, again") plus ea ("water") — literally water that turns back on itself.