Meaning & use
eddies
Last updated
“eddies” is a form of “eddy”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountable
Small circular movements of water, air, or smoke that turn against the main flow.
Grammar: Countable: one eddy, two eddies; often used in the plural for repeated swirls.
Patterns
- eddies of water
- eddies in the current
- form eddies
The river slowed near the rocks, and little eddies spun across the surface.
Smoke rose from the chimney and broke into eddies in the wind.
She watched the eddies carry fallen leaves around in circles.
verbintransitive
To move in small circles, or to make water or air move that way.
Grammar: No object; often used with 'around' or 'round': the water eddied around the stones.
Patterns
- eddy around something
- eddy round something
Cold mist eddied around the streetlights.
The stream eddies where the bank juts out.
Word forms
| singular | eddy |
|---|---|
| third person singular | eddies |
| past tense | eddied |
| past participle | eddied |
| -ing form | eddying |
Common combinations
- a whirlpool and its eddies
- The guide warned us about the whirlpool and its strong eddies.
- eddies of dust
- Eddies of dust swirled behind the truck.
- the water eddied
- The water eddied gently under the bridge.
- caught in an eddy
- The canoe was caught in an eddy near the shore.
Synonyms and how they differ
- whirlpool
- A whirlpool is a larger, stronger turning mass of water, while an eddy is usually smaller and gentler.
- swirl
- Swirl can describe any curling movement, including of hair or cream, but eddy is mainly used for water, air, or smoke.
- current
- A current is the main flow of water or air; an eddy turns against that flow.
Word family
- eddy noun
- The singular form of the same word.
Commonly confused: eddies or Eddie?
eddies vs Eddie
Eddie is a male name. The water word is spelled 'eddy' and its plural is 'eddies'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'eddies' correctly?
Choose one answer.
As a noun, 'eddies' is a plural and fits 'formed where the water hit the rocks.' Option A wrongly uses it as a verb with an object, C uses it as a verb of motion, and D uses a plural noun with 'was'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “eddies”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.