khamsin

[ kam-seen, kam-sin ]

/ kæmˈsin, ˈkæm sɪn /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR khamsin ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a hot southerly wind, varying from southeast to southwest, that blows regularly in Egypt and over the Red Sea for about 50 days, commencing about the middle of March.

Nearby words

khalkís, khalsa, khama, khambhat, khamenei, khamsin, khan, khanate, khanbalik, khanda, khanga

Origin of khamsin

First recorded in 1675–85, khamsin is from the Arabic word khamsīn literally, fifty

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

Examples from the Web for khamsin

Their delay had been caused in part by the Khamsin wind, and in part by their sluggish movements.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 62, No. 383, September 1847|Various
It was another very hot day, with a khamsin blowing, and the hard, shelterless hill-sides were a poor place to spend it on.
The Fifth Battalion Highland Light Infantry in the War 1914-1918|F.L. Morrison
O effendi, shall the camel-driver laugh when the camels are lost in the khamsin and the water-bottle is empty?
The Weavers, Complete|Gilbert Parker
Give a man the egotism of grief, and eloquence, and popularity, and he'll cut as sharp as the khamsin wind.
Donovan Pasha And Some People Of Egypt, Complete|Gilbert Parker

Alexandria on our return was dimmed in the heat and choking in the sand clouds of a khamsin.
The Fifth Battalion Highland Light Infantry in the War 1914-1918|F.L. Morrison

British Dictionary definitions for khamsin

khamsin

kamseen or kamsin

/ (ˈkæmsɪn, kæmˈsiːn) /

noun

a hot southerly wind blowing from about March to May, esp in Egypt

Word Origin for khamsin

C17: from Arabic, literally: fifty

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