tornado Definition
tor·nado (tôr nā′dō)
noun pl. -·does or -·dos
- ☆ a violently whirling column of air, with wind speeds of about 100 to 300 miles per hour, extending downward from a cumulonimbus cloud, esp. in Australia and the central U.S.: usually appearing as a rapidly rotating, slender, funnel-shaped cloud and typically causing great destruction along its narrow path
- in W Africa and the adjacent Atlantic, a severe thundersquall
- any whirlwind or hurricane
Etymology: altered (prob. based on Sp tornar, to turn) < Sp tronada, thunder, thunderstorm < tronar, to thunder < L tonare, to thunder
tornado Related Forms
☆ tor·nad′ic (-nad′ik) adjective
tornado Synonyms
tornado Usage Examples
Converse of subject
hit: Britain is tornado hotspot Britain is five times more likely to be hit by a tornado than the United States, research reveals today.
Converse of object
- spawn: The storms, many of which spawned tornadoes, ripped off roofs, smashed homes and left many without power.
- rip: In 1979, a tornado ripped through Windsor Locks, wreaking destruction along the eastern portions of the airport.
- produce: Environment: Mars ' destructive temper may produce tornadoes, explosions, high winds or flooding.
- create: Tornado The tornado will create a giant vertical tornado.
- see: Quite envious that you have seen a tornado, not many people have!
- include: However, some storms, including tornadoes, still cannot be forecast accurately.
Adjective modifier
- deadly: In 2001, in the wake of a deadly tornado, it gave the city of Fort Worth $ 10,000.
- mini: Ali Smith was a mini tornado that failed to be fully unleashed on this occasion.
- violent: The most violent tornados are capable of tremendous destruction with wind speeds of 250 mph or more.
- small: On the 14th a small tornado damaged a caravan camp at Pwllheli.
- most: Oklahoma City is the most tornado prone city in the world.
- several: Several tornadoes occur every year in the Czech Republic.
Modifies a noun
- outbreak: Others were confirmed after TORRO site investigations in South Wales, Somerset and Gloucestershire, making this a significant tornado outbreak by UK standards.
- warning: In the US midwest sirens are used for tornado warnings.
- path: A tornadoes path can be very selective, destroying homes directly in it path, while neighboring ones are untouched.
- watch: A bit of a tornado watch going on now.
- strike: Then the tornado strikes, and she's off to Oz.
- fuel: TORNADO FUEL SAVER - FUEL SAVER FOR CARS Fuel Saver Device ( aka Tornado Gas Saver ) A Super Fuel Saver!
Noun used with modifier
RAF: A Coastguard boat has located the wreck of an RAF Tornado which crashed into the Humber Estuary on Friday 17th May.
Browse dictionary entries near tornado
- tornillo ›
- toroid ›
- toroidal ›
- Toronto ›
- Toronto Stock Exchange ›
- torose ›
- torpedo ›
- torpedo boat ›
- torpedo-boat destroyer ›
- torpedo tube ›

