tramontana

[ trah-muhn-tah-nuh, -tan-uh; Italian trah-mawn-tah-nah ]

/ ˌtrɑ mənˈtɑ nə, -ˈtæn ə; Italian ˌtrɑ mɔnˈtɑ nɑ /

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a cold wind from the north or northeast that blows in the western Mediterranean.

any north wind issuing from a mountainous region.

QUIZZES

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

1605–15; <Italian, noun use of feminine of tramontanotramontane

Exotic plants grow and flourish, sheltered from the bitter tramontana wind.
Cathedral Cities of Italy|William Wiehe Collins
Generally, however, the Tramontana brings bright settled weather.
Louis Spohr's Autobiography|Louis Spohr
Stepping warily over the crazy floors of these vast rooms, one does not envy Taglioni when the Tramontana blew.
A Wanderer in Venice|E.V. Lucas
Again a beautiful tramontana sprang up, and in a vessel of first-rate sailing powers, would almost have brought us in.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine -- Volume 57, No. 351, January 1845|Various

Probably a sudden call from the tramontana brought it; even frost we had.
The Letters of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Volume II|Elizabeth Barrett Browning