khamsin

[kam-seen, kam-sin]

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.

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. 2018

Related Words for khamsin

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

Examples from the Web for khamsin

Historical Examples of khamsin

But if buildings are shut up early in the morning and opened at night, even the khamsin may be made tolerable.
The Australian Army Medical Corps in Egypt
James W. Barrett
The khamsin blows for a certain number of days in April, May, and the first half of June.
The Australian Army Medical Corps in Egypt
James W. Barrett
The heat was increasing and the desert winds brought the "khamsin" or duststorms.
The 28th: A Record of War Service in the Australian Imperial Force, 1915-19, Vol. I
Herbert Brayley Collett
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
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

British Dictionary definitions for khamsin

khamsin

kamseen or kamsin

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