A circular movement of water, air, or other fluid, running counter to the main current and typically forming a small whirlpool. Eddies form when fast-moving fluid encounters obstacles or changes in channel shape.
From Old Norse 'iða' meaning 'whirlpool,' related to Old English 'ed-' meaning 'back' or 'again.' The term captures the circular, returning motion of water that seems to flow against itself.
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