dust devil in British English
noun
a strong miniature whirlwind that whips up dust, litter, leaves, etc into the air
dust devil in American English
a small whirlwind that raises dust in a narrow column
dust devil in American English
noun
a small whirlwind 10–100 ft. (3–30 m) in diameter and from several hundred to 1000 ft. (305 m) high, common in dry regions on hot, calm afternoons and made visible by the dust, debris, and sand it picks up from the ground
Also called: dust whirl Word origin
[1890–95]This word is first recorded in the period 1890–95. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: blip, bootstrap, historicism, plein-air, takedownImage ofdust devil
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