noun
vertigo
VER-tih-goh/ˈvɜːrtɪɡəʊ/
A dizzy sensation that you or your surroundings are spinning.
During an episode of vertigo, the room seems to spin.
Etymology
Latin vertigo originally named a whirling or spinning movement. The sensation takes its name from that motion: you feel as though you or your surroundings are turning.
In context
she's suffering from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo where tiny crystals in the inner ear become dislodged causing a person to feel like they're spinning or the room feels like it's spinning
More examples
- Her vertigo makes the floor seem to rotate beneath her.
- An inner ear problem can cause vertigo.
- He sits still until the vertigo passes.
Similar words
- dizziness
- Broader; can include lightheadedness or unsteadiness without a spinning sensation.