simoom

noun

si·​moom sə-ˈmüm How to pronounce simoom (audio)
sī-
variants or simoon
: a hot dry violent dust-laden wind from Asian and African deserts

Examples of simoom in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Dust storms and dust-bearing winds go by many names, including the haboob in Sudan to the North African khamsin and the Arabian simoom. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 26 Feb. 2015 Herodotus records that a small nation called the Psylli marched into the desert to declare war on the simoom—and were subsequently buried by it. Julian Lucas, Harper's magazine, 22 July 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'simoom.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Arabic samūm

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of simoom was in 1763

Dictionary Entries Near simoom

Cite this Entry

“Simoom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/simoom. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on simoom

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!