How to pronounce maelstrom
American English pronunciation
MAYL-strum
- IPA
- /ˈmeɪlstɹəm/
- Syllables
- MAYL · strum (2 syllables, stress on the 1st)
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What maelstrom means
A powerful whirlpool of wild confusion
In a sentence: The stormy sea was a maelstrom of foam and spray.
Where it comes from: From an old Dutch word meaning "grinding stream," first the name of a whirlpool off Norway.
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