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

It sets in when east-to-west trade winds ease, allowing warm water which normally piles up in the western Pacific Ocean to slide back east and rise to the surface.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

Researchers believe south-east trade winds may have directed rain toward nearby Minjerribah rather than K'gari.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 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

This natural climatic event sees the usual flow of east-to-west trade winds across the Pacific slowing down or even reversing, with warm water pooling close to the Americas.

From BBC ● May 21, 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