wind shear

American  

[wind] / wɪnd /

noun

1. the rate at which wind velocity changes from point to point in a given direction.

2. a condition, dangerous to aircraft, in which the speed or direction of the wind changes abruptly.

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wind shear British  

/ wɪnd /

noun

1. stress on an aircraft in an area in which winds of different speeds and directions are close together

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wind shear Scientific  

1. A change in wind direction and speed between slightly different altitudes, especially a sudden downdraft. Depending on its scale, wind shear can cause a variety of effects, from minor turbulence to tornadoes. Wind shear caused by interactions between oceanic and atmospheric winds can be so strong that it can dissipate hurricanes.

2. See also shear force

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Etymology

Origin of wind shear

First recorded in 1940–45

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wind shear

El Niño in the Pacific Basin decreases wind shear, so it removes the inhibitive storm-decapitating effect of wind shear at the same time that it amplifies water temperature,” Swain said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

In the Pacific, the weather phenomenon weakens vertical wind shear that allows storm systems there to brew stronger.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

It can disrupt wind patterns above the Caribbean and the Atlantic leading to increased wind shear, meaning winds that blow at different speeds and directions at different levels in the atmosphere.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

All the air flowing toward the Atlantic is flowing from the Pacific, causing wind shear there to be unusually low.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Typically, the plane would have been flying on autopilot in that situation, reacting immediately and appropriately to wind shear.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

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