roaring forties

American  

plural noun

1. either of two areas in the ocean between 40° and 50° N or S latitude, noted for high winds and rough seas.

---

Roaring Forties British  

plural noun

1. nautical the areas of ocean between 40° and 50° latitude in the S Hemisphere, noted for gale-force winds

---

Etymology

Origin of roaring forties

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

The roaring forties describes the area between the latitudes 40 and 50 south of the equator - notorious for strong winds.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2023

She adds: "We are on the edge of the roaring forties, we are just a small rock in the middle of the south Atlantic, so we do have some pretty extreme weather."

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2023

Beyond the Cape of Good Hope, the "roaring forties" justified their ill repute.

From Time Magazine Archive

The bark County of Pembroke was running her easting down in the roaring forties off the Cape of Good Hope when she shipped a monstrous sea over the lee rail.

From Time Magazine Archive

Passing island after island of green and fertile look, they found themselves at last in what seemed a less favored zone—as windy as the "roaring forties," and growing chillier every hour.

From Tales of the Enchanted Islands of the Atlantic by Higginson, Thomas Wentworth