TOURBILLION


Meaning of TOURBILLION in English

noun

or tour·bil·lon tu̇rˈbilyən, tu̇əˈ-

( -s )

Etymology: Middle French tourbillon whirl, vortex, whirlwind, from Latin turbin-, turbo — more at turbine

1. : something that whirls around or moves spirally: as

a. : whirlwind

b. : a vortex especially of a whirlwind or whirlpool

c. : a firework having a spiral flight

2. : a watch in which the escapement is mounted on an epicyclic train and assumes all the vertical positions in one minute thereby neutralizing the position errors

3. : the whirl of the hair near the vertex of the human head

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.