sirocco
Americannoun
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a hot, dry, dustladen wind blowing from northern Africa and affecting parts of southern Europe.
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a warm, sultry south or southeast wind accompanied by rain, occurring in the same regions.
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any hot, oppressive wind, especially one in the warm sector of a cyclone.
noun
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a hot oppressive and often dusty wind usually occurring in spring, beginning in N Africa and reaching S Europe
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any hot southerly wind, esp one moving to a low pressure centre
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sirocco
First recorded in 1610–20; from Italian, variant of scirocco, from Arabic sharq “east”
Explanation
A sirocco is a type of storm that occurs near the Mediterranean Sea. The winds of a sirocco sometimes reach the speed of a hurricane. You've probably heard of tornadoes, blizzards, hurricanes, and maybe even tsunamis — but siroccos are probably less familiar. These winds originate in the Sahara and blow across the Mediterranean into southern Europe. They often carry dust and rain and can make temperatures rise quickly. The dreaded siroccos are most common in spring and fall and can last for hours or even days. The Arabic root of sirocco is sharqi, "east wind."
Vocabulary lists containing sirocco
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nearby stands Sirocco Tower, the tallest drop-tower ride in the world.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
The former Sirocco nightclub’s LGBTQ-owned location in front of Hotel Zoso traditionally hasn’t warmed up for drag and dancing until late nights.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2025
Flynn asked him to help take his yacht, Sirocco, back to California, but the departure date kept being put off, so Mr. Gesner went home.
From New York Times • Jun. 23, 2022
The Navy said one of three of the Guard fast crafts raced head-on at the Sirocco before changing course.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 20, 2022
There," said Sirocco, "is the way we must take.
From Italian Popular Tales by Crane, Thomas Frederick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
