Catherine wheel
noun
Cath·er·ine wheel
ˈka-th(ə-)rin- 
Examples of Catherine wheel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The truth Trump may be reluctant to post about is that Russia’s diplomacy has predictably dissolved into a dizzying Catherine wheel of tangents.
—
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025
At the top, a jagged, broken form recalls the razor-sharp spokes of a Catherine wheel, a notorious public torture device common to medieval Europe.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2023
Everything's wild rumpus springs from the everyday struggles of an L.A. laundromat owner (Michelle Yeoh) and her semi-estranged husband and daughter (Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu, respectively), then starts shooting out sparks from there like a Catherine wheel.
—Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 28 June 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025
At the top, a jagged, broken form recalls the razor-sharp spokes of a Catherine wheel, a notorious public torture device common to medieval Europe.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2023
Everything's wild rumpus springs from the everyday struggles of an L.A. laundromat owner (Michelle Yeoh) and her semi-estranged husband and daughter (Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu, respectively), then starts shooting out sparks from there like a Catherine wheel.
—Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 28 June 2022
Cite this Entry
“Catherine wheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Catherine%20wheel. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share