tornadoes Hear it!

Variant of tornado

tornado Definition

tor·nado (tôr nā)

noun pl. tornadoes -·does or tornados -·dos

  1. ☆ 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
  2. in W Africa and the adjacent Atlantic, a severe thundersquall
  3. any whirlwind or hurricane

Etymology: altered (prob. based on Sp tornar, to turn) < Sp tronada, thunder, thunderstorm < tronar, to thunder < L tonare, to thunder

Related Forms:

  • tornadic tor·nad′ic (-nadik) adjective
tornadoes Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • spawn: The storms, many of which spawned tornadoes, ripped off roofs, smashed homes and left many without power.
  • produce: Environment: Mars ' destructive temper may produce tornadoes, explosions, high winds or flooding.
  • include: However, some storms, including tornadoes, still cannot be forecast accurately.

Adjective modifier

  • several: Several tornadoes occur every year in the Czech Republic.

Modifies a noun

  • path: A tornadoes path can be very selective, destroying homes directly in it path, while neighboring ones are untouched.

Browse dictionary entries near tornadoes

  1. tornado
  2. tornadic
  3. torn
  4. tormentor
  5. tormentingly
  6. tormentil
  7. tormenter
  8. torment
  9. Torino
  10. torii
  1. tornados
  2. tornillo
  3. tornillos
  4. toroid
  5. toroidal
  6. Toronto
  7. Toronto Stock Exchange
  8. Torontonian
  9. torose
  10. torot