vortex
noun
vor·tex
ˈvȯr-ˌteks 
plural vortices
ˈvȯr-tə-ˌsēz
also vortexes
ˈvȯr-ˌtek-səz
also vortexes
ˈvȯr-ˌtek-səz
1
: something that resembles a whirlpool
the hellish vortex of battle—
Time
Time2
b
: a region within a body of fluid in which the fluid elements have an angular velocity
Examples of vortex in a Sentence
a boat sucked down into the vortex
Recent Examples on the Web
The next step is ours to take to avoid the spiraling vortex.
—Eric Solis, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Zoom out: The polar vortex in the stratosphere is altering the jet stream one atmospheric layer down, in the troposphere.
—Andrew Freedman, Axios, 19 Jan. 2025
Authorities in Louisiana have warned people to prepare for extreme cold in the coming days, and a map by Newsweek shows where the polar vortex sweeping across large parts of the U.S. will hit the state hardest.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025
With a frigid polar vortex set to grip huge swaths of the U.S. in the coming days, the city could see anywhere between 3 and 5 inches of snow before the quick-moving but significant storm breaks up in the early hours of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for vortex 
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Eric Solis, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Zoom out: The polar vortex in the stratosphere is altering the jet stream one atmospheric layer down, in the troposphere.
—Andrew Freedman, Axios, 19 Jan. 2025
Authorities in Louisiana have warned people to prepare for extreme cold in the coming days, and a map by Newsweek shows where the polar vortex sweeping across large parts of the U.S. will hit the state hardest.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025
With a frigid polar vortex set to grip huge swaths of the U.S. in the coming days, the city could see anywhere between 3 and 5 inches of snow before the quick-moving but significant storm breaks up in the early hours of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for vortex
Articles Related to vortex
Dictionary Entries Near vortex
Cite this Entry
“Vortex.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vortex. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vortex
noun
vor·tex
ˈvȯr-ˌteks
plural vortices
ˈvȯrt-ə-ˌsēz
also vortexes
also vortexes
: a mass of whirling fluid forming a cavity in the center toward which things are drawn : whirlpool
Medical Definition
vortex
transitive verb
vor·tex
ˈvȯ(ə)r-ˌteks
: to mix (as the contents of a test tube) by means of a rapid whirling or circular motion
vortex air into a solution
vortexing
noun
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