trade winds

American  

[trayd windz] / ˈtreɪd ˌwɪndz /

plural noun

trade wind singular

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• trade-wind
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trade winds

During El Nino, trade winds weaken and atmospheric patterns shift across the tropical Pacific, allowing warm waters around Indonesia to spread eastward toward South America.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

El Niño occurs every few years when trade winds of the tropical Pacific weaken and the ocean warms up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

They also look for indications that the trade winds in the western Pacific have reversed; signalling that the warming ocean is beginning to influence the atmosphere.

From BBC ● May 14, 2026

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have identified a previously unknown system inside cells that acts like internal "trade winds," rapidly carrying important proteins to the front edge of the cell.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 1, 2026

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