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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
During El Niño phases, east-to-west trade winds over the equatorial Pacific relax, causing warm surface water to accumulate off the Pacific coast of Central and South American. Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026 The warming and cooling of tropical waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean is a cyclical and naturally occurring phenomenon that involves shifts in trade winds and changes in sea-surface temperatures. Roberto Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026 El Niño occurs when trade winds weaken, allowing vast volumes of warm ocean water to move from the Eastern Pacific toward the Americas. Lauren Sommer, NPR, 12 Mar. 2026 Then, depending on myriad factors ranging from the direction and strength of trade winds to the sloshing of warmer than average ocean waters from the Western to the Eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, an El Niño may emerge sometime in the late summer to fall time frame. Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trade wind

Word History

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined above

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trade wind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade%20wind. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

trade wind

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

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