tornado

[tawr-ney-doh]

noun

plural

tornadoes, tornados 

1. Meteorology.,  a potentially violent and destructive system of atmospheric circulation, characterized by a long, funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground and made visible by condensation and debris: although tornadoes have occurred on all continents except Antarctica, they are most common in the United States, especially in the area known as Tornado Alley.

2. Meteorology.,  a violent squall or whirlwind of small extent, as one of those occurring during the summer on the west coast of Africa.

3. a violent outburst, as of emotion or activity.

   The weekly tornado has arrived—in the form of my three grandchildren and their two dogs.

4. Military.,  Tornado, a supersonic, two-seat, multipurpose military aircraft produced jointly by West Germany, Britain, and Italy and capable of flying in darkness and bad weather.

tornado

/ tɔːˈneɪdəʊ, tɔːˈnædɪk /

noun

1. Also called: cyclone.  twister. a violent storm with winds whirling around a small area of extremely low pressure, usually characterized by a dark funnel-shaped cloud causing damage along its path

2. a small but violent squall or whirlwind, such as those occurring on the West African coast

3. any violently active or destructive person or thing

4. (often capital) a type of dinghy, designed to be crewed by two people

tornado

1. A violently rotating column of air extending from a cumulonimbus cloud to the Earth, ranging in width from a few meters to more than a kilometer and whirling at speeds between 64 km (40 mi) and 509 km (316 mi) per hour or higher with comparable updrafts in the center of the vortex. The vortex may contain several smaller vortices rotating within it. Tornadoes typically take the form of a twisting, funnel-shaped cloud extending downward from storm clouds, often reaching the ground, and dissolving into thin, ropelike clouds as the tornado dissipates. Tornadoes may travel from a few dozen meters to hundreds of kilometers along the ground. Tornadoes usually form in the tail end of violent thunderstorms, with weaker funnels sometimes forming in groups along a leading squall line of an advancing cold front or in areas near a hurricane. The strongest tornadoes, which may last several hours and travel hundreds of kilometers, can cause massive destruction in a relatively narrow strip along their path. The causes of tornado formation are not well understood.

tornado

1. In meteorology, a storm in which high-speed winds move in a funnel-shaped pattern.

Tornadoes occur chiefly during thunderstorms.

Tornadoes are common in the Middle West.

If the tip of the funnel touches the ground, it can cause extensive damage.

Other Word Forms

• tornado-like adjective
• tornadic adjective
• tornadolike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tornado¹

First recorded in 1550–60; apparently by metathesis from Spanish tronada “thunderstorm,” noun use of feminine of tronado, past participle of tronar, from Latin tonāre “to thunder”; replacing 16th-century ternado, with unexplained e

Word History and Origins

Origin of tornado¹

C16: probably alteration of Spanish tronada thunderstorm (from tronar to thunder, from Latin tonāre ), through influence of tornar to turn, from Latin tornāre to turn in a lathe

Example Sentences

The massive mania for AI stocks on Wall Street only makes sense if artificial intelligence is going to sweep through the jobs market like a tornado.

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It lets you step out of the tornado of reactivity and remember who you are.

Read more on Salon

Back in 2024, Universal conjured a pink and green tornado that swept pop culture.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In Orange County, a possible tornado or waterspout moved ashore around 10:15 p.m.

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“Some of these could become severe, could become supercellular where they start spinning, and those carry a remote, non-zero, risk of damaging winds and/or a weak tornado,” Kittell said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• twister 
• whirlwind 
• windstorm