trade wind

noun

: a wind blowing almost constantly in one direction
especially : a wind blowing almost continually toward the equator from the northeast in the belt between the northern horse latitudes and the doldrums and from the southeast in the belt between the southern horse latitudes and the doldrums
usually used in plural

Examples of trade wind in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For the 2024 eclipse, forecasters will have to contend with a wild card: El Niño, the recurring climate pattern in which the Pacific trade winds weaken and cause warm water to build off the west coast of the Americas. Jay Anderson, Discover Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024 Visibility is good, since this part of the island is protected from the trade winds and very few rivers end their course in the sea here. Judy Koutsky, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 The temperatures are milder, with the humid northwest trade winds changing to the cooler southwest winds, so the weather conditions are perfect. Amber Port, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Jan. 2024 In 2023 the trade winds never fully kicked in, which contributed to record water temperatures off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of Panama. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2024 The Canaries provided easy access to the trade winds, and Columbus began using them as his final stop for provisions before voyages west. Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024 High winds Major differences in air pressure drove unusually strong trade winds that fanned the destructive flames, according to meteorologists. CBS News, 14 Aug. 2023 Mild trade winds keep the weather comfortable and create perfect conditions for sailing and kiteboarding. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2024 Fire weather: Hawaii has been dealing with fire-weather conditions in recent days as trade winds turned gusty and dry fuels are abundant. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trade wind was in 1615

Dictionary Entries Near trade wind

Cite this Entry

“Trade wind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade%20wind. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

trade wind

noun
: a wind blowing almost constantly toward the equator from an easterly direction

More from Merriam-Webster on trade wind

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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