eddy

noun, verb — 4 senses

eddy

noun

UK, US /ˈɛd.i/

Etymology From Middle English eddy, from Old English edēa, from ed- (“turning, back, reverse”) + ēa (“water”), equivalent to ed- + ea. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁é, and, consequently, cognate with Latin et. Related also to Danish ide (“eddy”), Swedish eda (“eddy”), Norwegian ida, ia, ea (“eddy”), Icelandic iða (“eddy”).

1

A current of air or water running back, or in an opposite direction to the main current.

  • In the bow old Dobbs fought the stream cunningly, twisting the nose into eddies and backwaters, taking advantage when he could of set of current, and when he could not, paddling doggedly, not so powerfully, perhaps, as his partner, but with equal steadiness.1922, A. M. Chisholm, A Thousand a Plate:
2

A circular current; a whirlpool.

  • And smiling eddies dimpled on the main.1667, John Dryden, Annus Mirabilis: The Year of Wonders, 1666. […], London: […] Henry Herringman, […], →OCLC, (please specify the stanza number):
  • Wheel through the air, in circling eddies play.1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act II, scene i, page 32:
1 more example
  • It was as though the room were instantly flooded with water. After a moment’s hesitation first one couple, then another, leapt into mid-stream, and went round and round in the eddies.1915, Virginia Woolf, The Voyage Out, London: Duckworth & Co., […], →OCLC:
Derived terms
eddy current, eddy kinetic energy, eddyline, eddy root, Mediterranean eddy
Related terms
countercurrent, dust devil, stream pool

eddy

verb

Etymology From Middle English eddy, from Old English edēa, from ed- (“turning, back, reverse”) + ēa (“water”), equivalent to ed- + ea. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁é, and, consequently, cognate with Latin et. Related also to Danish ide (“eddy”), Swedish eda (“eddy”), Norwegian ida, ia, ea (“eddy”), Icelandic iða (“eddy”).

1

To form an eddy; to move in, or as if in, an eddy; to move in a circle.

  • He waded out, the stream eddying around his legs.
  • Eddying round and round they sink.1815, William Wordsworth, The Kitten and falling Leaves:
2 more examples
  • Neither in his voiceless cabin, fragrant with planks of new-cut pine, nor along the lake, nor in the sunset clouds which presently eddied behind the lavender-misted mountains, could Babbitt find the spirit of Paul as a reassuring presence.1922, Sinclair Lewis, “Chapter 25”, in Babbitt:
  • It’s a uniquely American news story, one that eddies until it surges, and then, after it has mostly receded from view, surges again.2023, Clayton Collins, quoted in: Clayton Collins, Jingnan Peng, Right to arms, right to peace? Our writer explored a balance., in: The Christian Science Monitor, December 1, 2023

eddy

noun

Etymology Clipping of edible.

1

Slang A marijuana edible.

  • I never really was into weed until recently. On my "Chrissy Chaos" podcast on Patreon, I do a segment every Friday called the "Chris and Eddy Show" 'cause I call edibles "eddys,' so I take an eddy and I do a show.2022 April 30, Chris Distefano (quoted), Angela Barbuti, “NYC comic Chris Distefano laughs off woke culture in Netflix special”, in New York Post:
  • These eddies are made with both fruits and veggies, and weed of course, with cozy flavor profiles like honey lemon and apple pie.2022 June 25, Amelia Williams, “America's yummiest THC gummies of summer 2022”, in Leafly:
1 more example
  • If you do end up bringing a couple eddies with you, try removing them from any packaging and passing them off as regular candy. Think ahead of time what dosage of edibles you’d like to bring and how high you’re trying to get.2022 August 26, Nadir Pearson, “The ultimate stoner’s guide to weed at festivals”, in Leafly:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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