vortex
noun
vor·tex
| \ ˈvȯr-ˌteks
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plural vortices\ ˈvȯr-tə-ˌsēz
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also vortexes\ ˈvȯr-ˌtek-səz
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also vortexes\ ˈvȯr-ˌtek-səz
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Definition of vortex
1
: something that resembles a whirlpool
the hellish vortex of battle — Time
b
: a region within a body of fluid in which the fluid elements have an angular velocity
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Examples of vortex in a Sentence
a boat sucked down into the vortex
Recent Examples on the Web
The rockets and satellites launched during the Cold War helped provide a major breakthrough in weather prediction: the first images sent from the edge of space showed Earth wrapped in bands and whirls and vortices that stretched thousands of miles. — Hannah Fry, The New Yorker, "Why Weather Forecasting Keeps Getting Better," 24 June 2019 New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez doesn’t operate in that vortex. — Elaine Ayala, ExpressNews.com, "Is a detention center a concentration camp?," 22 June 2019 Harper, a six-time All-Star at 25, is caught in the vortex. — Ben Walker, The Seattle Times, "Baseball’s shifting culture set to play out in All-Star Game," 16 July 2018 Bomb cyclones, polar vortexes, and arctic air masses are expected to blanket the region. — National Geographic, "Bomb Cyclones and Polar Vortexes—This Winter's Scary Weather Explained," 3 Jan. 2018 The air flows through the filaments and leaves a swirling trail of air behind, or what’s called a separated vortex ring. — Rachael Lallensack, Smithsonian, "Five Scientific Findings That Could Lead to New Inventions," 13 July 2019 Would last winter’s polar vortex deliver a knock-out punch? — Lee Bergquist, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Despite last winter's polar vortex, emerald ash borer continues to march across Wisconsin," 18 June 2019 After dazzling at the Met Gala earlier this month, the diva headed back to Los Angeles and into a polar vortex. — Vogue, "Forget Summer! Winter is Coming for Lady Gaga," 23 May 2019 Lord Kelvin proposed that atoms were knotted vortexes swirling in the ether, an invisible, fluidlike medium believed at the time to fill space. — Quanta Magazine, "Could Knots Unravel Mysteries of Fluid Flow?," 9 Dec. 2013These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vortex.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for vortex
vortex
noun
English Language Learners Definition of vortex
technical
: a mass of spinning air, liquid, etc., that pulls things into its center
See the full definition for vortex in the English Language Learners Dictionary
vortex
transitive verb
vor·tex
| \ ˈvȯ(ə)r-ˌteks
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Medical Definition of vortex
: to mix (as the contents of a test tube) by means of a rapid whirling or circular motion
vortex air into a solution
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