dust devil
Definition
- Noun:
- A small, rapidly rotating column of air that picks up dust, leaves, and other light debris from the ground: A "dust devil" is a weather phenomenon, a type of whirlwind, that is visible because of the material it lifts. It is typically smaller and less intense than a tornado.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- We saw a dust devil swirling across the empty field.
- The sudden dust devil scattered our picnic papers.
- Dust devils are common in dry, hot, and flat areas during the afternoon.
Advanced Usage
- "to kick up a dust devil": to cause or create a swirling cloud of dust, often metaphorically.
- The speeding car kicked up a dust devil on the dirt road.
- Scientific context: In meteorology, a dust devil is distinguished from a tornado as it forms from the ground up on clear, hot days due to surface heating, not from a thunderstorm cloud.
Variants and Related Words
- Whirlwind (n): A more general term for any rotating column of air.
- Sand pillar (n): A less common synonym, especially when occurring in sandy areas.
Synonyms
- Whirlwind: A rotating column of air.
- Duster (informal, regional): A term sometimes used for a dust devil.
Related Phrases
- Dust storm (n): A much larger and more severe weather event involving widespread, wind-driven dust, not a localized vortex like a dust devil.
Related Idioms
- To raise a dust devil: To cause a commotion or stir up trouble, drawing from the chaotic, swirling nature of the phenomenon.
- His controversial comments raised a dust devil in the media.
Noun
-
a miniature whirlwind strong enough to whip dust and leaves and litter into the air
