<p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>A large, powerful, or violent whirlpool.</li><li>A restless, disordered, or tumultuous state of affairs: the maelstrom of early morning traffic.</li><li>Synonyms: bedlam, pandemonium, tumult.</li><li>(Initial capital letter) A famous hazardous whirlpool off the NW coast of Norway.</li></ul>