harmattan

[hahr-muh-tan]

See more synonyms for harmattan on Thesaurus.com

noun

(on the west coast of Africa) a dry, parching land breeze, charged with dust.

Origin of harmattan

1665–75; said to be < Twi haramata

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for harmattan

sandstorm, devil, duster, harmattan, khamsin, samiel, shaitan, simoom, sirocco

Examples from the Web for harmattan

Historical Examples of harmattan

This harmattan, by the way, is a bit of a meteorological mystery.
A Camera Actress in the Wilds of Togoland
Meg Gehrts
The harmattan prevails for several days in succession, and alternates with winds from the south and south-west.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 9
Various
The dry east wind known as the harmattan blows intermittently from December to March.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 4
Various
The mean temperature in the dry season, when the “harmattan” is frequent, is 62 Fahr., in the wet season 86.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 1 "Franciscans" to "French Language"
Various
Those storms which are accompanied with a clear sky, as the northers of the Gulf of Mexico, the harmattan of Africa, &c.
The Sailor's Word-Book
William Henry Smyth

British Dictionary definitions for harmattan

harmattan

noun

a dry dusty wind from the Sahara blowing towards the W African coast, esp from November to March

Word Origin for harmattan

C17: from Twi haramata, perhaps from Arabic harām forbidden thing; see harem

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012