nor'easter

American  

[nawr-ee-ster] / ˌnɔrˈi stər /

noun

Meteorology.

1. an eastern North American storm that usually develops between the Georgia and New Jersey latitudes, progressing northeastward and typified by potentially violent northeast winds: most frequent and intense from September through April, nor’easters can develop within a hundred miles of the east coast and commonly bring heavy rain or snow and coastal damage.

   The nor’easter of 1992 breached the island and destroyed many homes.

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Etymology

Origin of nor'easter

First recorded in 1830–40; by shortening of northeaster

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nor'easter

The season premiere opened Saturday with Ramy Youssef reprising his role as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, delivering an update on the nor’easter battering the East Coast before James Austin Johnson’s Trump arrived unexpectedly.

From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026

The historic nor’easter that’s pounded every state from Maine to West Virginia may finally be over, but the cleanup certainly ain’t.

From Slate ● Feb. 24, 2026

A nor’easter generally refers to a big storm, often in winter, that moves up the East Coast, Bassill said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026

“It’s been a decade or so since we saw this much of a widespread nor’easter impact,” said Cody Snell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center based in Maryland.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026

It’s more likely that Grammy would take me out on a raft in the middle of a nor’easter.

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt