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

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, 30 May 2026

Severe thunderstorms may bring tornadoes, hail the size of tennis balls and winds up to 70 mph to Colorado’s Eastern Plains on Saturday afternoon, National Weather Service forecasters said. —Katie Langford, Denver Post, 30 May 2026

The first season immediately put the team through their paces when a huge tornado descended upon a country music festival. —Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026

According to the department, extreme heat causes more deaths annually than floods, hurricanes and tornadoes combined, with risks expected to increase as global temperatures continue rising. —City News Service, Daily News, 28 May 2026

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