spindrift

[ spin-drift ]

noun

1. spray swept by a violent wind along the surface of the sea.

spindrift

/ ˈspɪnˌdrɪft /

noun

1. spray blown up from the surface of the sea
2. powdery snow blown off a mountain

Word History and Origins

Origin of spindrift¹

1590–1600; variant of Scots speendrift spoondrift

Word History and Origins

Origin of spindrift¹

C17: of Scottish origin, possibly from a variant of obsolete spoon to scud + drift

Example Sentences

At long cafeteria tables dotted with Spindrift cans and chessboards, harried-looking engineers are putting the finishing touches on Claude’s new, ChatGPT-style interface, code-named Project Hatch.

From New York Times

I can’t haul too much on the bike, though I’ve managed to figure out how to carry such suburban-dad loads as five extra-large pizzas, three bags of mulch, a full propane tank, or eight cases of Spindrift.

From Slate

Maggie Yu, a 24-year-old model in town from London, sips a Spindrift while she sits alone wearing all black: combat boots, leather pants, leather trench coat.

From Washington Post

Spindrift whipping off the crests of breaking waves freezes into sleet.

From Literature

James Instance, from Falmouth RNLI, said conditions there were getting worse, with high waves and spindrift coming through.

From BBC

Related Words

• aerosol
• sprayer
• sprinkler