harmattan

[ hahr-muh-tan ]

/ ˌhɑr məˈtæn /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR harmattan ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

Nearby words

harlot, harlotry, harlow, harm, harm's way, harmattan, harmful, harmless, harmolodics, harmonia, harmonic

Origin of harmattan

1665–75; said to be < Twi haramata

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for harmattan

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
This harmattan, by the way, is a bit of a meteorological mystery.
A Camera Actress in the Wilds of Togoland|Meg Gehrts
The dry east wind known as the harmattan blows intermittently from December to March.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 4|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

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

British Dictionary definitions for harmattan

harmattan

/ (hɑːˈmætən) /

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