trade winds

American  

[trayd windz] / ˈtreɪd ˌwɪndz /

plural noun

singular

trade wind

1. tropical and subtropical winds that blow continuously toward the equator, from the northeast in the northern hemisphere and from the southeast in the southern hemisphere.

---

trade winds Scientific  

/ trād /

1. Winds that blow steadily from east to west and toward the equator over most of the Torrid Zone. The trade winds are caused by hot air rising at the equator, with cool air moving in to take its place from the north and from the south. The winds are deflected westward because of the Earth's west-to-east rotation.

2. Compare antitrades

---

Other Word Forms

• trade-wind adjective

Example Sentences

El Nino can weaken consistent trade winds that blow east to west across the tropical Pacific, influencing weather by affecting the movement of warm water across this vast ocean.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

Officials attributed the stormy Atlantic outlook to a confluence of factors including record-warm ocean temperatures; reduced Atlantic trade winds and wind shear; and the development of La Niña.

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2024

In 2023 the trade winds never fully kicked in, which contributed to record water temperatures off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of Panama.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 7, 2024

The trade winds also usually induce upwelling of deep, cold waters near the equator.

From National Geographic • Nov. 27, 2023

Surprisingly, the coast is also walled off from moisture on the Pacific side, where the trade winds create a second rain shadow.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann