tornado

American  

[tawr-nay-doh] / tɔrˈneɪ doʊ /

noun

• tornadoes,
  plural
• tornados
  plural

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.

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tornado British  

/ tɔːˈneɪdəʊ /

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

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tornado Scientific  

/ tôr-nā′dō /

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.

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tornado Cultural  

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

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Discover More

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

Derived Forms

• tornadic
  adjective
• tornado-like
  adjective
• tornadolike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tornadoes
  plural
• tornados
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of tornado

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

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Explanation

A tornado is a violent windstorm in the shape of a funnel cloud that reaches to the ground. If a tornado is coming, you’ll want to take cover. A tornado can be quite severe and leave a lot of destruction in its wake, Tornadoes (or tornados — either is correct) tend to occur more often and with more severity in areas over flat lands, such as the Great Plains. That Kansas “twister” in The Wizard of Oz is a famous example of a tornado. Tornado is sometimes used to describe someone or something that acts like a tornado — with intense, violent energy or emotion.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tornado tornadoes tornados

I learned the hard way how important one of these can be, when a two-minute cyclone tornado came ashore Long Island Sound a few years ago and hit a major transmission line.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Several people in Ulladulla, New South Wales, filmed the moment a rare tornado came through the town on 3 October.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

The tornado, which swept through the Aude department on Monday, hit the village of Pomas hardest, damaging around 300 homes and injuring 39 people, two severely.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

The tornado that transported Dorothy Gale from dusty Kansas to vibrant Oz might have swept up the village idiot instead.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

Now Carmen knew how Dorothy felt when she fell out of that tornado and landed in the strange land of Oz.

From "I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919" by Lauren Tarshis

There is also the potential for accompanying tornadoes, Melissa Watson, a Florida-based meteorologist at the National Weather Service told the BBC.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

For those who have not evacuated, "the main thing will be having multiple ways to receive warnings" about tornadoes and storm surges, Watson said.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

Nor’easters, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and whatever this year’s super El Niño may bring to your corner of the world—is your home disaster-proof?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Earlier, residents of Kauai and Nihau were warned to watch for tornadoes -- though it was not immediately clear if these did in fact form.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

I could sleep through bombs and tornadoes and everything.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

The news today is filled with photographs and stories about tornados that have blasted through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kentucky.

From Salon ● May 29, 2024

Warnings for strong thunderstorms, flash flooding and tornados have been given for the area.

From BBC ● May 28, 2024

Nebraska, Illinois and Wisconsin were also hit by tornados, heavy rain and power cuts.

From BBC ● May 22, 2024

The National Weather Service confirmed nine tornados in Ohio, including an EF-3 tornado that began in southern Auglaize County near Fryburg and continued through the Lakeview area in northern Logan County.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 17, 2024

Today me and Lloyd were a pair of whirlwinds – two tornados back and forth to the barn a dozen times before breakfast.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

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Related Words

• twister
• whirlwind
• windstorm

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