a mass of liquid or gas that is whirling and moving in a circular fashion and that has a vacuum at its center towards which things are drawn, a whirlpool or whirlwind;
e.g. A vortex of dusty wind was moving towards the city.
(noun)
something that has the capacity to consume or draw things towards/into it, such as a whirlwind/whirlpool;
e.g. They became absorbed by a vortex of responsibilities.