sirocco
noun
si·roc·co
shə-ˈrä-(ˌ)kō 
sə-
variants
or less commonly scirocco
plural siroccos
1
a
: a hot dust-laden wind from the Libyan deserts that blows on the northern Mediterranean coast chiefly in Italy, Malta, and Sicily
b
: a warm moist oppressive southeast wind in the same regions
2
: a hot or warm wind of cyclonic origin from an arid or heated region
Examples of sirocco in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The sirocco, a wind that blows from the Sahara and across the Mediterranean, delivers, in turn, dry and then humid air that can reach hurricane speeds.
—
Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
On our drives, Peppe and I chat about everything from the gusty sirocco winds that blow in from the south to the humanitarian aid the Sicilian government has offered migrants who arrive on these shores from northern Africa.
—Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 May 2022
The yellow fins poking ever so slightly out of the sea tend to look fragile against the raging Adriatic, in footage taken when they're raised -- normally during storms whipped up by rough sirocco winds, which blast the city from the south.
—Julia Buckley, CNN, 29 Dec. 2021
Also in Sicily, every now and then, there is the threat of the sirocco, a hot wind that brings high temperatures.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes, 21 Sep. 2021
The setting is Venice in the fall of 1966, the site of a real-life historic flood in which water levels rose over six feet — a consequence of high tides combined with three days of heavy rain and a sirocco wind that wouldn’t quit.
—Washington Post, 27 June 2021
This remote lump of black volcanic rock, relentlessly buffeted by warm, sirocco winds, is closer to Tunisia than Italy.
—Nicky Swallow, Travel + Leisure, 11 Nov. 2020
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
On our drives, Peppe and I chat about everything from the gusty sirocco winds that blow in from the south to the humanitarian aid the Sicilian government has offered migrants who arrive on these shores from northern Africa.
—Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 May 2022
The yellow fins poking ever so slightly out of the sea tend to look fragile against the raging Adriatic, in footage taken when they're raised -- normally during storms whipped up by rough sirocco winds, which blast the city from the south.
—Julia Buckley, CNN, 29 Dec. 2021
Also in Sicily, every now and then, there is the threat of the sirocco, a hot wind that brings high temperatures.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes, 21 Sep. 2021
The setting is Venice in the fall of 1966, the site of a real-life historic flood in which water levels rose over six feet — a consequence of high tides combined with three days of heavy rain and a sirocco wind that wouldn’t quit.
—Washington Post, 27 June 2021
This remote lump of black volcanic rock, relentlessly buffeted by warm, sirocco winds, is closer to Tunisia than Italy.
—Nicky Swallow, Travel + Leisure, 11 Nov. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Sirocco.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sirocco. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share