TOURBILLION
noun, whirlwind, a vortex especially of a whirlwind or whirlpool
We climb...onto a rooftop terrance where we shiver in the cold as the year turns and the chrysanthemums and tourbillions explode above the park.
"Tourbillion" comes from the same root as "turbine"---namely, the Latin word turbo, meaning "top" (as in a spinning object) or "whirlwind." "Tourbillion" has been used over time to refer to other spinning object besides an actual whirlwind. Among watchmaking enthusiasts, "tourbillion" is the name of a kind of watch with a mechanism designed to compensate for the effects of gravity on its movement. Among pyrotechnics fans, a tourbilllion is a kind of firework that has a spiral flight. The variety of meaning for "tourbillion" is enough to make one's head spin!
hugs always
karen charlie and enzo
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