tornado

noun

tor·​na·​do tȯr-ˈnā-(ˌ)dō 

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

But the leaves in the tornado is not one of them. —Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025

Milton was a category 3 storm, resulting in a tornado outbreak in east-central Florida that damaged buildings and power lines. —Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025

The National Weather Service even confirmed a tornado touched down in the area, KENS5 reported. —Tj MacIas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2025

Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, has written about hurricanes, tornadoes and violent weather for more than 30 years. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for tornado

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo

Kids Definition

tornado

noun

tor·​na·​do tȯr-ˈnād-ō 

plural tornadoes or tornados

: a violent destructive whirling wind accompanied by a funnel-shaped cloud that moves in a narrow path over the land