white squall

American  

[hwahyt skwawl, wahyt] / ˈʰwaɪt ˈskwɔl, ˈwaɪt /

noun

Meteorology, Nautical.

1. a maritime squall whose approach is indicated by whitecaps and turbulent water rather than by the clouds that usually accompany a squall.

   The sudden fogs, white squalls, and terrible ice storms made navigating Lake Superior treacherous.

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white squall British  

noun

1. a violent highly localized weather disturbance at sea, in which the surface of the water is whipped to a white spray by the winds

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Etymology

Origin of white squall

First recorded in 1770–75

Example Sentences

Whereupon a gigantic waterspout, which is the devilish eye of a "white squall," which is something that makes a typhoon seem a trifle, hits the ship squarely.

From Time Magazine Archive

Then she ran into a "white squall," a killer blast of 90-m.p.h. wind and water.

From Time Magazine Archive

Here a sudden and unexpected "white squall" assails her—the Josephine is turned over on her beam-ends, and the captain and crew climb up on the ship's keel for shelter.

From Historic Boys Their Endeavours, Their Achievements, and Their Times by Brooks, Elbridge Streeter

The first was when we encountered a white squall about a week out from England.

From Five Years in New Zealand 1859 to 1864 by Booth, Robert B.

And as the ship slowly paid off and gathered away the white squall broke upon them.

From Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer A Romance of the Spanish Main by Crawford, Will