Spindrifts

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A phenomenon characterized by fine particles of snow or sand that are lifted by the wind and blown across a surface
2. A cloud of lightweight material that is propelled by air currents, often creating a swirling motion
3. Referring to the delicate and mist-like appearance of particles dancing in the breeze, resembling strands or tendrils in motion

Etymology: "Spindrifts" is simply the plural of "spindrift," so the story belongs to the singular. The word came into English from Scots, where it was recorded in the form "spenedrift" by the writer James Melville (1556–1614). Its exact origin is unsettled. The Oxford English Dictionary links it to the archaic "spoondrift," which combines "spoon," a variant of "spoom" meaning to sail swiftly before the wind, with "drift," a mass of matter driven along by wind or water. Scottish lexicographers doubt this, pointing out that "spoondrift" appears later in the record and that a Scots spelling is unlikely to have replaced the English one. The word stayed largely Scottish until the late 19th century, when the Scottish-born novelist William Black (1841–1898) used it in his books and popularised it across English. Its meaning has stayed tied to the sea and wind, describing the spray and foam whipped from wave crests, along with the fine snow or sand carried across a surface by gusts.

Synonyms: spray, mist