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• wind chill
  wind chill

  noun

  the apparent temperature felt on the exposed human body owing to the combination of temperature and wind speed.
• wind-chill
  wind-chill

  noun

wind chill

American  

[wind chil, win-] / ˈwɪnd ˌtʃɪl, ˈwɪn- /

Or windchill

noun

Meteorology.

1. the apparent temperature felt on the exposed human body owing to the combination of temperature and wind speed.

   Sorry, but when the wind chill is below zero, I lose all interest in skiing.

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wind-chill British  

/ wɪnd- /

noun

1. 1. the serious chilling effect of wind and low temperature: it is measured on a scale that runs from hot to fatal to life and allows for varying combinations of air temperature and wind speed

   2. ( as modifier )

      wind-chill factor

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Etymology

Origin of wind chill

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wind chill wind-chill

“It’s the wind and wind chill coupled with temperatures below freezing that tend to push the operating tolerances beyond their thresholds.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026

With the wind chill, it felt like minus eight degrees Fahrenheit -- about minus 22 Celsius -- but people kept coming.

From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026

Numerous protesters lined the perimeter of an ICE facility at Fort Snelling in St. Paul, where the temperature was reported to be well below 20 degrees with the wind chill.

From Salon ● Jan. 23, 2026

The temperatures were freezing — around 28 degrees, with the wind chill around 10 degrees.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026

The wind chill must be twenty below and I don’t have a hat or mittens.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Deploy fans: Ceiling fans create a wind-chill effect that makes a room feel several degrees cooler, allowing you to set the thermostat higher.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026

As winds strengthen in some places there will be an added wind-chill.

From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2026

In the Bears’ 31-27 wild-card victory over the Green Bay Packers, which was played in wind-chill of 26 degrees, Williams completed 24 of 48 passes for 361 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 15, 2026

Des Moines could see temperatures of 10 below zero, with wind-chill as low as 30 below, according to the National Weather Service.

From New York Times ● Jan. 15, 2024

Sled dog teams, including Balto’s, transported vials of diphtheria antitoxin in a 674-mile relay from Nenana, Alaska, braving intense winds and wind-chill temperatures of –85 degrees Fahrenheit.

From Scientific American ● Apr. 27, 2023