Eddy
biographical name
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"He walked by the stream, far from the houses, and in the light and warmth of the sun fell asleep on the bank. When he awoke and was afoot again, he lingered there yet a little longer, watching an eddy that turned and turned purposeless, until the stream absorbed it, and carried it on to the sea." This use of eddy (from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens) reflects a sense that has been swirling around English for centuries; the earliest documented uses of eddy to refer to water currents goes back to the 1400s. Etymologists trace the word to the Scottish dialect term ydy, which had the same basic meaning as our modern term. The verb form of eddy meaning "to move in or cause to move in an eddy or in the manner of an eddy" (as in "the waves eddied against the pier") appeared a few centuries after the noun.
Cite this Entry
“Eddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Eddy. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
eddy
1 of 2 noun
eddy
2 of 2 verb
