渦 (uzu) means “eddy” | MotiTan Japanese Dictionary

More examples

海岸近くの岩の間に渦が見えます。kai gan chika ku no iwa no aida ni uzu ga mi e ma su

I can see an eddy between the rocks near the shore.

Describes a moving pocket of water or air that curls around itself within a larger flow.

渦巻きuzumaki: A form or movement that follows a spiral path around a center.

水や空気の流れの一部が、周囲とは異なる向きに輪を描くように回るもの。mizu ya kū ki no naga re no ichi bu ga shū i to wa koto na ru mu ki ni wa o ega ku yō ni mawa ru mo no

The native Japanese noun 渦 (uzu) uses a character borrowed from Chinese that means "whirlpool", while the word's older formation is uncertain.

In English, eddy can describe a small circular current in air as well as water, so smoke and leaves can eddy even when no water is present.