Whirlwind

A whirlwind is an atmospheric phenomenon consisting of twisting wind movements. It is similar to a tornado, but smaller and less powerful. Whirlwinds are sometimes called dust devils.

In computing, the word most commonly designates MIT's pioneering Whirlwind computer, whose direct successor(s) was used in the U.S. SAGE air defence system from the 1950s to the 1980s.