Noun
a miniature whirlwind strong enough to whip dust and leaves and litter into the air
Source: WordNetA dust devil, fully formed, is a funnel-like chimney through which hot air moves, both upwards and in a circle. Source: Internet
As available extreme hot air near the surface is channeled up the dust devil, eventually surrounding cooler air will be sucked in. Once this occurs, the effect is dramatic, and the dust devil dissipates in seconds. Source: Internet
Dusty or sandy conditions will cause particles to become caught up in the vortex, making the dust devil easily visible. Source: Internet
Dust devil main A dust devil is a strong, well-formed, and relatively long-lived whirlwind, ranging from small (half a metre wide and a few metres tall) to large (more than 10 metres wide and more than 1000 metres tall). Source: Internet
Dust devil main A dust devil (also known as a whirlwind) resembles a tornado in that it is a vertical swirling column of air. Source: Internet
In 1997, the Mars Pathfinder lander detected a dust devil passing over it. citation citation In the image shown here, photographed by the Mars Global Surveyor, the long dark streak is formed by a moving swirling column of Martian atmosphere. Source: Internet