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 ascroll offire .
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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The second time it opens up and shows the one-minute tourbillion and power reserve indicator.
Vagablond 2010
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The handset is activated when opened, and uses tourbillion escapement mechanism for its built-in analogue clock.
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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
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The handset is activated when opened, and uses tourbillion escapement mechanism for its built-in analogue clock.
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Baselworld 2010 Swiss Geneva スイス tourbillon tourbillion
WN.com - Articles related to Australia mining firm strikes gold in RP 2010
mollusque commented on the word tourbillion
A whirlwind, vortex, eddy or whirlpool.
December 17, 2007
adoarns commented on the word tourbillion
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
mollusque commented on the word tourbillion
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
qms commented on the word tourbillion
"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
bilby commented on the word tourbillion
Maybe we can let a snarknado loose on spammers.
July 5, 2014