westerly

[wes-ter-lee]

adjective

moving, directed, or situated toward the west: the westerly end of the field.

(especially of a wind) coming from the west: a westerly gale.

adverb

toward the west: to escape westerly.

from the west: a sharp wind blowing westerly.

noun, plural west·er·lies.

a wind that blows from the west: an occasional westerly that pommeled the island.

westerlies, (used with a plural verb) any semipermanent belt of westerly winds, especially those that prevail at latitudes lying between the tropical and polar regions of the earth.

Origin of westerly

1570–80; west + -erly, as in easterly

Related formswest·er·li·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for westerlies

Historical Examples of westerlies

The “westerlies” meet “easterlies” from the polar highs at about 50-60° N. and S.
Deserts
A. S. Walker
Their rainfall regime is alternately that of the westerlies and of the trades.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 5
Various
Surface winds known as “westerlies” flow from the Horse Latitudes toward the poles.
Deserts
A. S. Walker
There came a burst of afternoon westerlies which blew small hurricanes from noon to sundown.
Poor Man's Rock
Bertrand W. Sinclair
On the polar margins of the trade-wind zone lie the sub-tropical belts, of alternating trades and westerlies.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 5
Various

British Dictionary definitions for westerlies

Westerlies

pl n

meteorol the prevailing winds blowing from the west on the poleward sides of the horse latitudes, often bringing depressions and anticyclones

westerly

adjective

of, relating to, or situated in the west

adverb, adjective

towards or in the direction of the west

(esp of the wind) from the west

noun plural -lies

a wind blowing from the west

Derived Formswesterliness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for westerlies

prevailing winds in certain latitudes, 1876, from westerly (see west).

westerly

adv.

late 15c., "in a westerly direction; facing toward the west," from Middle English wester (adj.) "western" (mid-14c.), from Old English westra, variant of westerne (see western) + -ly (2). Cf. Old Norse (adv.). Middle English also had a verb wester "to go west." Related: Westerlies (n.). Somewhat contradictory sense of "coming from the west" attested by 1570s.

westerlies in Science

westerly

[wĕs′tər-lē]

A wind, especially a prevailing wind, that blows from the west. The prevailing winds in the middle latitudes are westerlies. See illustration at wind.

westerlies in Culture

westerly

See prevailing westerlies.