To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Definition of trade wind
: 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 Courtesy of the easterly trade winds, the beach is catnip for kiteboarders and stand-up-paddle boarders’ and well worth a return visit at night when the moonscape reflected on the still water is mystical.
—
Melanie Refffes, USA TODAY, "Shh! These are the best secret beaches in the Caribbean," 25 Nov. 2019 The economic sectors that are hurting are those most exposed to the trade winds.
—
Washington Post, "Trump faces crucial decision on China as both economies strain," 7 Oct. 2019 Saharan dust gets kicked up into the upper atmosphere by storms in the late spring or early summer, Heil says, and the dust rides the trade winds across the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico and other places.
—
USA TODAY, "Emoji house, Saharan dust, turtle crossing: News from around our 50 states," 8 Aug. 2019 And the generations of Indonesian women inhabiting the lush, fictional port city of Eka Kuniawan’s Beauty Is a Wound survive decades of war and political upheaval amid a landscape buffeted by trade winds and a bit of magical realism.
—
Alison Fields, Longreads, "On, In, or Near the Sea: A Book List," 25 July 2019 The trade winds -- westward moving winds in the upper atmosphere -- are picking up dust from the Sahara Desert in northern Africa, lofting it over the Atlantic Ocean and filling the skies from Florida to East Texas.
—
Jordan Evans, CNN, "The Southeast US is seeing some colorful sunsets -- thanks to dust from Africa," 26 June 2019 Jamaica in June is sweltering, with only the northeast trade winds and the waters of the Caribbean to take the edge off.
—
Dan Rys, Billboard, "In Jamaica With Island Records Founder Chris Blackwell," 12 Sep. 2019 One such pattern is El Niño, which occurs when changes in the strength or direction of trade winds every two to seven years causes waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean to become unusually warm.
—
NBC News, "Antarctic sea ice is shrinking rapidly after decades of growth. Scientists aren't sure why.," 1 July 2019 Few countries are as exposed to international trade winds as South Korea.
—
Mike Bird, WSJ, "Korea’s Battered Stocks Are Cheap for Good Reasons," 30 May 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trade wind.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on trade wind
What made you want to look up trade wind? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Semantic Drift Quiz
- Which of the following was once a synonym for fun?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share trade wind
Time Traveler for trade wind
The first known use of trade wind was in 1615
See more words from the same year