Spindrift (more rarely spoondrift) is the

spray Spray or spraying commonly refer to: * Spray (liquid drop) ** Aerosol spray ** Blood spray ** Hair spray ** Nasal spray ** Pepper spray ** PAVA spray ** Road spray or tire spray, road debris kicked up from a vehicle tire ** Sea spray, refers to ...

blown from cresting waves during a

gale A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface wind moving at a speed between .

. This spray, which "drifts" in the direction of the gale, is one of the characteristics of a wind speed of 8 Beaufort and higher at sea. In Greek and Roman mythology,

Leucothea In Greek mythology, Leucothea (; ), sometimes also called Leucothoe (), was a Water deity, sea goddess. Myths surrounding Leucothea typically concern her original identity, either as Ino (Greek mythology), Ino or Halia of Rhodes, Halia, and her t ...

was the goddess of spindrift.

Terminology

''Spindrift'' is derived from the Scots language, but its further

etymology Etymology ( ) is the study of the origin and evolution of words—including their constituent units of sound and meaning—across time. In the 21st century a subfield within linguistics, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study. ...

is uncertain."spindrift, ''n.''", in '' The Dictionary of the Scots Language'', Edinburgh:

Scottish Language Dictionaries The ''Dictionary of the Scots Language'' (DSL) (, ) is an online Scots– English dictionary run by Dictionaries of the Scots Language. Freely available via the Internet, the work comprises the two major dictionaries of the Scots language: *'' ...

, 2004–,

OCLC OCLC, Inc. See also: is an American nonprofit cooperative organization "that provides shared technology services, original research, and community programs for its membership and the library community at large". It was founded in 1967 as the ...

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reproduced from W lliamGrant and D vidD. Murison, editors, '' The Scottish National Dictionary'', Edinburgh:

Scottish National Dictionary Association The Scottish National Dictionary Association (SNDA) was founded in 1929 to foster and encourage the Scots language, in particular by producing a standard dictionary of modern Scots. This primary aim was fulfilled in 1976 with the completion of the ...

, 1931–1976,

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Although the ''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...

'' suggests it is a variant of '' spoondrift'' based on the way that word was pronounced in southwest Scotland, from ''

spoon A spoon (, ) is a utensil consisting of a shallow bowl (also known as a head), oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery (sometimes called flatware in the United States), especially as part of a table setting, place setting, it ...

'' or '' spoom'' ("to sail briskly with the wind astern, with or without sails hoisted") and '' drift'' ("a mass of matter driven or forced onward together in a body, etc., especially by wind or water"), this is doubted by the ''

Scottish National Dictionary The ''Scottish National Dictionary'' (''SND'') was published by the Scottish National Dictionary Association (SNDA) from 1931 to 1976 and documents the Modern (Lowland) Scots language. The original editor, William Grant, was the driving force ...

'', because ''spoondrift'' is attested later than ''spindrift'' and it seems unlikely that the Scots spelling would have superseded the English one, and because the early use of the word in the form ''spenedrift'' by James Melville (1556–1614) is unlikely to have derived from ''spoondrift''. In any case, ''spindrift'' was popularized in England through its use in the novels of the Scottish-born author

William Black William Black may refer to: Politicians * William Black (Ontario politician) (1867–1944), speaker of the Legislature of Ontario and Conservative MLA * William Black (Canadian politician) (1869–1930), Progressive party member of the Canadian Hou ...

(1841–1898). ''Spindrift'' or ''spoondrift'' is also used to refer to fine sand or snow that is blown off the ground by the wind.Spindrift
on '' Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary''. Retrieved 20 July 2008.

References

{{Reflist Wind Precipitation Oceanography