tornado

noun tor·na·do \ tȯr-ˈnā-(ˌ)dō \

Definition of tornado

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

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Examples of tornado in a Sentence

in the path of a tornado

Recent Examples of tornado from the Web

Calipari also raised funds for West Liberty, Kentucky, after tornadoes hit the town in 2012.

— fletcher page, The Courier-Journal, "John Calipari, Kentucky basketball to host telethon for Hurricane Harvey victims," 30 Aug. 2017
Most likely: Torrential rain, flash flooding, strong wind gusts, small hail Possible hazards: Damaging wind gusts, golf ball size hail, isolated tornadoThe Storm Prediction Center has increased its storm outlook for the D.C. region.

— jeff halverson, Washington Post, "Thunderstorms and flash flooding impact the D.C. region during the evening commute," 18 Aug. 2017
FirstNet emerged as a solution to communications problems during large emergencies such as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, tornadoes and other events.

— mark davis, kansascity, "Kansas taps AT&T to boost fire, police communications in emergencies," 15 Aug. 2017
Don Greer and his wife, Helen, hid in a tornado shelter.

— brantley hargrove, Popular Mechanics, "How to Stop the Wind," 3 Aug. 2017
The May 16 tornado formed from a classic supercell that formed in the relatively desolate Plains.

— kelly p. kissel, The Seattle Times, "Researchers know about some deadly storms early with system," 14 July 2017
A tornado touched down at the air base, damaging seven RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Air Force Just Had an Awful Week," 26 June 2017
There is a small chance for high, damaging winds and small hail, but most storms will not be severe and no tornadoes are expected.

— frank marzullo, jennifer baker, Cincinnati.com, "Heavy rain could cause flash flooding Friday," 23 June 2017
In a budget plan that can be best described as punitive, Trump proposes to slash NOAA funding by hundreds of millions, eliminating early warning systems for tornadoes such as Vortex-Southeast.

— jamil smith, Esquire, "Soon, Trump Will Have to Handle a Real Disaster," 22 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tornado.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tornado

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1556

See Words from the same year

Other Climate/Meteorology Terms

monsoon, occlusion, ozone, rime, squall, zephyr

TORNADO Defined for English Language Learners

tornado

noun

Definition of tornado for English Language Learners

: a violent and destructive storm in which powerful winds move around a central point

TORNADO Defined for Kids

tornado

noun tor·na·do \ tȯr-ˈnā-dō \

Definition of tornado for Students

plural tornadoes or tornados

:a violent whirling wind accompanied by a cloud that is shaped like a funnel and moves overland in a narrow path

Learn More about tornado

See words that rhyme with tornado Spanish Central: Translation of tornado Nglish: Translation of tornado for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tornado for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tornado

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tornado

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