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sandstorm

[ sand-stawrm ]
/ ˈsændˌstɔrm /
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noun Meteorology.
an occurrence of strong winds, especially in a desert, that pick up and carry sand, as from dunes, and typically move along in a series of leaps, effecting the process of saltation: Our plan to film on location in Dubai was thwarted by a week of unusually persistent sandstorms.
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Origin of sandstorm

First recorded in 1765–75; sand + storm
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sandstorm in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sandstorm

sandstorm
/ (ˈsændˌstɔːm) /

noun
a strong wind that whips up clouds of sand, esp in a desert
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

Scientific definitions for sandstorm

sandstorm
[ săndstôrm′ ]

A strong wind that carries clouds of sand and dust through the air. Most of the particles in a sandstorm are between 0.08 and 1 mm (0.0032 and 0.04 inches) in size. Sandstorms usually are limited to within 3 m (10 ft) of the ground, rarely getting more than 15 m (49 ft) high. They develop in desert areas where loose sand can be stirred up by wind. Most sandstorms occur during the day when the Earth's surface heats up and dissipate at night as it cools.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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