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
That typical dryness has been exacerbated by weaker-than-normal trade winds that have kept rain away, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
—
Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 9 Aug. 2023
El Niño conditions are characterized by changes in the strength or direction of trade winds that cause waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean to become warmer than usual.
—Dawn Liu, NBC News, 8 Aug. 2023
With the exception of some breezier trade winds, no major impacts to Hawaii were expected.
—Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 17 Aug. 2023
This means the pressure gradient and winds will be weaker than last week’s event and more comparable to Hawaii’s typically breezy trade winds.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN, 14 Aug. 2023
An unknown spark on Tuesday night quickly set parts of the island ablaze, sending flames fueled by a combination of strong trade winds and a landscape parched by drought conditions through the historic Lahaina district and people's homes.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2023
The precise cause of the wildfires is not yet known, emergency officials said Wednesday, but they were exacerbated in part by strong easterly trade winds whipped up by Hurricane Dora, which has been churning over the central Pacific Ocean.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 10 Aug. 2023
Dangerous wildfires are spreading rapidly across Maui due to very dry conditions stemming from a drought combined with powerful trade winds being squeezed across Hawaii.
—Mark Osborne, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2023
Usually, trade winds blow west off the coast of South America, pushing out warm surface water and replacing it with cold deep water that extends up the Pacific coast.
—Scott Wilson, Washington Post, 26 May 2023
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Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 9 Aug. 2023
El Niño conditions are characterized by changes in the strength or direction of trade winds that cause waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean to become warmer than usual.
—Dawn Liu, NBC News, 8 Aug. 2023
With the exception of some breezier trade winds, no major impacts to Hawaii were expected.
—Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 17 Aug. 2023
This means the pressure gradient and winds will be weaker than last week’s event and more comparable to Hawaii’s typically breezy trade winds.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN, 14 Aug. 2023
An unknown spark on Tuesday night quickly set parts of the island ablaze, sending flames fueled by a combination of strong trade winds and a landscape parched by drought conditions through the historic Lahaina district and people's homes.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2023
The precise cause of the wildfires is not yet known, emergency officials said Wednesday, but they were exacerbated in part by strong easterly trade winds whipped up by Hurricane Dora, which has been churning over the central Pacific Ocean.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 10 Aug. 2023
Dangerous wildfires are spreading rapidly across Maui due to very dry conditions stemming from a drought combined with powerful trade winds being squeezed across Hawaii.
—Mark Osborne, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2023
Usually, trade winds blow west off the coast of South America, pushing out warm surface water and replacing it with cold deep water that extends up the Pacific coast.
—Scott Wilson, Washington Post, 26 May 2023
See More
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
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 25 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
trade wind
noun
: a wind blowing almost constantly toward the equator from an easterly direction
More from Merriam-Webster on trade wind
Nglish: Translation of trade wind for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trade wind
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