whorl 
/ˈwɚl, ˈworəl/ noun
plural whorls /ˈwɚl, ˈworəl/ noun [count] 1 : something that turns or goes around in a circle
▪ a whorl of smoke ▪ the whorls and eddies of the river 2 : a pattern that is made by a series of circles that turn around a center point
▪ the whorl of a fingerprint 3 technical : an arrangement of leaves, petals, etc., that forms a circle around a stem
▪ a whorl of smoke ▪ the whorls and eddies of the river
▪ the whorl of a fingerprint
