williwaw

American  

[wil-ee-waw] / ˈwɪl iˌwɔ /

noun

1. a violent squall that blows in near-polar latitudes, as in the Strait of Magellan, Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands.

---

williwaw British  

/ ˈwɪlɪˌwɔː /

noun

1. a sudden strong gust of cold wind blowing offshore from a mountainous coast, as in the Strait of Magellan

2. a state of great turmoil

---

Etymology

Origin of williwaw

First recorded in 1835–45; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

Last week the Cabinet met in Paris, listened for five hours to the williwaw of conflicting opinions.

From Time Magazine Archive

A young Boston reserve officer named Melvin Johnson has raised a williwaw in Washington with claims that his new rifle is better than the Garand, if Army bureaucrats would only admit it.

From Time Magazine Archive

TEMPEST. "kicking up a great williwaw of dust." yawping. n. a strident or prattling utterance, "moldy characters and philosophical yawpings about life."

From Time Magazine Archive

Stanley Umstead started the four engines from left to right, kicking up a great williwaw of dust as he turned them up.

From Time Magazine Archive

On the afternoon of the tenth day on the island the sky clouded up and Mr. Gibney predicted a williwaw.

From Captain Scraggs or, The Green-Pea Pirates by Grant, Gordon