derecho

noun

de·​re·​cho də-ˈrā-(ˌ)chō 

plural derechos

: a large fast-moving complex of thunderstorms with powerful straight-line winds that cause widespread destruction

Examples of derecho in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The night before the tornados, a derecho with wind gusts up to 85 mph and multiple thunderstorms caused widespread damage and more than 674,600 power outages across the Chicago area, according to the National Weather Service and Commonwealth Edison. —Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026

What makes a derecho different from typical severe storms is the scale. —Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 8 May 2026

The derecho’s 14-hour journey had a much larger footprint that spanned from southeast South Dakota to Ohio. —Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026

Fowler’s tenure at the weather service office includes the night of May 16, 2024, when a destructive severe thunderstorm, later designated a derecho, dashed windows in downtown Houston skyscrapers as winds whipped between office buildings. —Newsroom Meteorologist, Houston Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, straight (contrasted with tornado, taken to mean "turned"), from Latin directus — more at direct entry 1

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for derecho

• deco
• echo
• gecko

Kids Definition

derecho

noun

de·​re·​cho

də-ˈrā-(ˌ)chō

plural derechos

: a large fast-moving complex of thunderstorms with powerful winds that move in a straight line and that cause widespread destruction

Etymology

from Spanish, "straight" (opposed to tornado, taken to mean "turned" in Spanish)