prevailing wind
Americannoun
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prevailing winds
plural
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Meteorology. a wind from a specified direction that is the typical or predominant wind direction in a particular region or season (often used in the plural).
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the dominant direction of public attitudes and trends.
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A wind that blows predominantly from a single general direction. The trade winds of the tropics, which blow from the east throughout the year, are prevailing winds.
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See illustration at wind
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The immense umbrella cloud that forms does not behave like a normal ash plume that simply drifts with the prevailing wind.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
Do you have a prevailing wind direction in your yard?
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 21, 2023
The prevailing wind direction is a south-westerly so nature and infrastructure is built with this in mind.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2023
Maui’s terrain and prevailing wind patterns also had a powerful effect on the fire’s movement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2023
She rode the prevailing wind over the familiar mountains and rivers and beyond the Catskills into unknown territory.
From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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