dust devil

noun

: a small whirlwind containing sand or dust

Examples of dust devil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web On Mars, however, our fate is much more bleak: death by freezing, carbon dioxide poisoning, radiation exposure or getting sucked into space by a huge dust devil. Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 8 July 2024 Arizona often doesn't have those conditions just right for tornados to spawn but does have dust devils that could be substituted for proper wind sheer. Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 3 July 2024 The dust devil was located moving across the western rim of Mars’ Jezero Crater, according to Space.com. Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 11 Apr. 2024 The planet is dry and windy and prone to dust devils. Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dust devil 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dust devil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dust devil was in 1888

Dictionary Entries Near dust devil

Cite this Entry

“Dust devil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dust%20devil. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

dust devil

noun
: a small whirlwind containing sand or dust

More from Merriam-Webster on dust devil

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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