tornado

noun

tor·​na·​do tȯr-ˈnā-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce tornado (audio)
plural tornadoes or tornados
1
a
: a violent destructive whirling wind accompanied by a funnel-shaped cloud that progresses in a narrow path over the land
b
: a squall accompanying a thunderstorm in Africa
2
: a violent windstorm : whirlwind
3
archaic : a tropical thunderstorm

Examples of tornado in a Sentence

in the path of a tornado
Recent Examples on the Web Hail, damaging wind gusts, torrential rain and tornadoes are all possible, especially during the afternoon and evening. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 Tornado watches mean the conditions are right for a tornado to form. The Indianapolis Star, 5 Mar. 2024 The National Weather Service has issued a rare tornado warning for parts of Santa Cruz and San Benito counties Saturday evening. Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 The storm system triggered a rare tornado that touched down in Madera, in central California, damaging an elementary school while students were inside on Friday, said Brian Ochs, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Hanford. Megan Michelson, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Wright-Patterson Air Force Base sustained a direct hit – by a tornado – during strong storms on Wednesday. Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 29 Feb. 2024 Michiganders recovering from severe storms and tornadoes that tore through the region last summer can still apply for federal home repair grants and rent aid. Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 28 Feb. 2024 There were reports of six tornadoes, five of them in northern Illinois and one in Michigan, from Tuesday to Wednesday mornings. Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024 There also should be extreme weather surrounding the event like tempests, tornadoes, vortexes and lava. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tornado.' 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

modification of Spanish tronada thunderstorm, from tronar to thunder, from Latin tonare — more at thunder entry 1

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of tornado was in 1556

Dictionary Entries Near tornado

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

tornado

noun
tor·​na·​do tȯr-ˈnād-ō How to pronounce tornado (audio)
plural tornadoes or tornados
: a violent destructive whirling wind accompanied by a funnel-shaped cloud that moves in a narrow path over the land
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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