- Today's Word
Maelstrom
MAYL-struhm
Definition
- (noun) A powerful, turbulent whirlpool.
- A situation of great confusion, chaos, or violent turmoil.
Example
The company’s sudden bankruptcy created a maelstrom of legal battles and financial uncertainty.
Fun Fact
The word “maelstrom” comes from a famous and feared whirlpool off the coast of Norway, first recorded in Dutch as maelstroom, meaning “grinding stream.” Though it originally described literal oceanic whirlpools, today it’s often used metaphorically to depict emotional, political, or societal chaos. Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne both used the term in literature, cementing its dramatic and powerful imagery.
(noun) A burden, duty, or responsibility—especially one that is difficult or unwelcome.
The onus of proving the theory fell on the scientists who proposed it.
From Latin onus, meaning “load” or “burden.”