sandstorm

[ sand-stawrm ]
See synonyms for sandstorm on Thesaurus.com
nounMeteorology.
  1. 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 ofsaltation: Our plan to film on location in Dubai was thwarted by a week of unusually persistent sandstorms.

Origin of sandstorm

1
First recorded in 1765–75; sand + storm

Words Nearby sandstorm

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sandstorm in a sentence

  • One night in May there was a sandstorm, which as usual played strange tricks with Annesley's nerves.

    The Second Latchkey | Charles Norris Williamson and Alice Muriel Williamson
  • Heat and sandstorm, failure and famine, toil unutterable, these had been Oscar Ames' portion.

    Still Jim | Honor Willsie Morrow
  • We forced our way along, pushing our machines, through a blinding sandstorm, till at last we had to take to the railway track.

  • A heavy sandstorm came on, and our Camel Corps were unable to follow up the beaten and dispirited enemy.

  • He was not certain if it would be inhabited at the sandstorm season, but there was a good chance of stored food and water.

    Shock Treatment | Stanley Mullen

British Dictionary definitions for sandstorm

sandstorm

/ (ˈsændˌstɔːm) /


noun
  1. 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′ ]


  1. 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.