Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A whirlwind.
  • noun A vortex, as of a whirlwind or whirlpool.
  • noun A skyrocket that has a spiral flight.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The point near the vertex around which the hair grows radially in different directions.
  • noun An ornamental firework which turns round when in the air so as to present the appearance of a scroll or a spiral column of fire.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun An ornamental firework which turns round, when in the air, so as to form a scroll of fire.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun archaic An ornamental firework that turns round in the air so as to form a scroll of fire.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English turbilloun, from Old French torbeillon, ultimately from Latin turbō, from Greek turbē, noise, confusion; see turbid.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

See tourbillon.

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Examples

  • Left: Concord Quantum Gravity The craziest watch of the day: a tourbillion that rotates both vertically and horizontally, a power reserve that uses liquid expanding and contracting to indicate levels, and a suspension bridge linking all of it together.

    Times Are a-Changing: Watches From Baselworld 2009 2009

  • No, it isn't a long lost episode of Star Trek, but Ned Kahn's “tourbillion” installation art, a collaboration with architect Uwe Bruckner, for the Duales Systems Pavilion at Expo 2000 in Hannover, Germany.

    Tornado Kahn 2007

  • No, it isn't a long lost episode of Star Trek, but Ned Kahn's “tourbillion” installation art, a collaboration with architect Uwe Bruckner, for the Duales Systems Pavilion at Expo 2000 in Hannover, Germany.

    Archive 2007-01-01 2007

  • We were approached by various collectors from the states; they asked us if we would make a tourbillion for them.

    Forbes.com: News Hannah Elliott 2011

  • Combining the iconic chain and fusée, drums and vertical tourbillion from the Winch timepiece with a revolutionary new technique, the Sol Invictus is another mechanical wonder for your wrist.

    Luxurylaunches.com namrata 2010

  • The second time it opens up and shows the one-minute tourbillion and power reserve indicator.

    Vagablond 2010

  • The handset is activated when opened, and uses tourbillion escapement mechanism for its built-in analogue clock.

    Moneycontrol Top Headlines 2010

  • Celsius X VI II Remontage Papillon Micro mechanics meets high-tech in a stunningly stylish new mobile phone incorporating a tourbillion watch design

    Cool Hunting Evan Orensten 2010

  • The handset is activated when opened, and uses tourbillion escapement mechanism for its built-in analogue clock.

    Moneycontrol Top Headlines 2010

  • Baselworld 2010 Swiss Geneva スイス tourbillon tourbillion

    WN.com - Articles related to Australia mining firm strikes gold in RP 2010

Comments

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  • A whirlwind, vortex, eddy or whirlpool.

    December 17, 2007

  • I'm guessing related is tourbillon from FRA, which denotes a kind of intricate escapement for timepieces which counters the effects of gravity.

    December 17, 2007

  • Yes, OED2 gives tourbillon from French in the etymology and as an alternate spelling, but marked as foreign. It also gives two other meanings: "a kind of firework which spins as it rises, describing a spiral" and "a carriage in which the escapement of a watch is fitted so that it revolves round the fourth wheel", the second using the spelling tourbillon in the only quotation.

    December 17, 2007

  • "Sharknado" was a youth market fit,

    But a whirling celestial snake pit -

    A vortex reptilian,

    A serpent tourbillion!

    "Snakenado" is a guaranteed hit!

    July 4, 2014

  • Maybe we can let a snarknado loose on spammers.

    July 5, 2014