steam devil
English
Alternative forms
- steamdevil, steam-devil
Etymology
steam + devil. From being a whirlwind (“devil”) formed from mist (“steam”). Patterned after dust devil.
Noun
steam devil (plural steam devils)
- A spiraling wind caused by rising thermals off a warm body of water's surface that has been enveloped by a layer of very cold air, which also causes the humidity in the thermal to turn to mist, highlighting the whirl of the column. The equivalent of a dustdevil over water.
Coordinate terms
- spout
- thermal
- tornado
- waterspout
- whirl
- whirlwind
Related terms
- devil
- dust devil
- fire devil