Maelstrom (noun)
mayl-strom
A powerful whirlpool in the sea or a river. / A situation or state of confused movement or violent turmoil.
Late 16th century from early modern Dutch (denoting a whirlpool in the Arctic Ocean, west of Norway), from maalen ‘grind, whirl’ + stroom ‘stream’.
Example sentences
“The noise from the maelstrom was a deafening roar.”
Wonky (adj) won-kee Not straight or balanced, off kilter. First recorded in 1915–20; perhaps variant of dialectal wanky, equivalent to wank(le) ( Middle English wankel, Old English wancol. (more…)
