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wind scale

American  
[wind] / wɪnd /

noun

  1. a numerical scale, as the Beaufort scale, for designating relative wind intensities.


wind scale British  
/ wɪnd /

noun

  1. a numerical scale of wind force, such as the Beaufort scale

"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

Etymology

Origin of wind scale

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

That wind speed is comparable to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.

From Science Daily Jun. 3, 2026

Part of the communication issues may be down to how hurricanes are classified, using the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.

From BBC Aug. 29, 2025

The commonly used Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale was designed as a public communication tool to help people easily understand the relative risk of damage from oncoming storms in the 1970s.

From Salon Feb. 6, 2024

It was expected to reach Category 3 force - classified as a major hurricane - on the five-step Saffir-Simpson wind scale by the time it makes Florida landfall on Wednesday, the NHC said.

From Reuters Aug. 29, 2023

Noru was producing maximum sustained winds of 143 miles per hour on Tuesday evening, making it the equivalent of a Category 4 storm on the wind scale that is used to describe Atlantic hurricanes.

From New York Times Sep. 27, 2022

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