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khamsin

[ kam-seen, kam-sin ]
/ kæmˈsin, ˈkæm sɪn /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR khamsin

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.

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Origin of khamsin

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

Words nearby khamsin

Khalkís, khalsa, Khama, Khambhat, Khamenei, khamsin, khan, khanate, Khanbalik, khanda, khanga
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to khamsin

sandstorm, devil, black blizzard, dust devil, duster, harmattan, samiel, shaitan, simoom, sirocco

Example sentences from the Web for khamsin

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