means A whirling mass of fluid or air—water, wind, or gas—that spins around a central axis, often pulling things inward toward its core.

from From Latin 'vortex,' a variant of 'vertex,' meaning a whirlpool or eddy, built on the verb 'vertere,' to turn. That same turning root spins through a surprising family of words—'vertigo,' 'convert,' 'versus,' even 'verse' (a line that turns at its end). English drew it straight from Latin in the 17th century, and it has been swirling ever since.