dust devil

English
A dust devil.

Alternative forms
  • dustdevil, dust-devil

Etymology

Compound of dust +‎ devil.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /dʌst ˈdɛvəl/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

dust devil (plural dust devils)

  1. A small atmospheric vortex appearing in clear, dry conditions, made visible by swirling dust picked up from the ground.
    Synonyms: sand pillar, (Australia) willy willy
    Coordinate terms: spout, landspout, tornado, whirlwind, whirl, thermal
    A dust devil may look harmless, but a large one can overturn a car.

Translations

See also
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