tornado

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tor·na·do

(tôr-nā′dō)

n. pl. tor·na·does or tor·na·dos

1. A violently rotating column of air extending from a cumulonimbus cloud to the ground, ranging in width from a few meters to more than a kilometer, with destructive winds up to 510 kilometers (316 miles) per hour or higher. Tornadoes are typically associated with a funnel cloud pendant from a storm's wall cloud, often extending to the bottom of the tornado.

2. A violent thunderstorm in western Africa or nearby Atlantic waters.

3. A whirlwind or hurricane.

[Alteration (probably influenced by Spanish tornado, turned, past participle of tornar, to turn) of Early Modern English ternado, violent thunderstorm, hurricane from Spanish tronada, thunderstorm, from tronar, to thunder, from Latin tonāre; see (s)tenə- in Indo-European roots.]

tor·na′dic (-nā′dĭk, -năd′ĭk) adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

tornado

(tɔːˈneɪdəʊ)

n, pl -does or -dos

1. (Physical Geography) Also called: cyclone or twister (US and Canadian informal)a violent storm with winds whirling around a small area of extremely low pressure, usually characterized by a dark funnel-shaped cloud causing damage along its path

2. (Physical Geography) a small but violent squall or whirlwind, such as those occurring on the West African coast

3. any violently active or destructive person or thing

4. (often capital) a type of dinghy, designed to be crewed by two people

[C16: probably alteration of Spanish tronada thunderstorm (from tronar to thunder, from Latin tonāre), through influence of tornar to turn, from Latin tornāre to turn in a lathe]

tornadic adj

torˈnado-ˌlike adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

tor•na•do

(tɔrˈneɪ doʊ)

n., pl. -does, -dos.

1. a localized, violently destructive windstorm occurring over land, esp. in the Middle West, and characterized by a long, funnel-shaped cloud that extends to the ground.

2. a violent squall or whirlwind of small extent, as one of those occurring during the summer on the W coast of Africa.

3. a violent outburst, as of emotion or activity.

[1550–60; appar. by metathesis < Sp tronada thunderstorm, n. use of feminine of tronado, past participle of tronar < Latin tonāre to thunder]

tor•nad′ic (-ˈnæd ɪk, -ˈneɪ dɪk) adj.

tor·na·do

(tôr-nā′dō)

A violently rotating column of air ranging in width from a few yards to more than a mile and whirling at speeds estimated at 300 miles (483 kilometers) an hour or higher. A tornado usually takes the form of a funnel-shaped cloud extending downward out of a cumulonimbus cloud. Where the funnel reaches the ground, it can cause enormous destruction.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

tornado

a highly localized, violent windstorm occurring over land, usually in the U.S. Midwest, characterized by a vertical, funnel-shaped cloud.

tornado

An intense cyclone where the spiraling wind-speed reaches over 200 miles (320km) per hour.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	tornado - a localized and violently destructive windstorm occurring over land characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground twister cyclone - a violent rotating windstorm supertwister - the most powerful tornado which can create enormously devastating damage; "supertwisters are fortunately rare" waterspout - a tornado passing over water and picking up a column of water and mist
	2.	tornado - a purified and potent form of cocaine that is smoked rather than snorted; highly addictive crack cocaine, crack cocain, cocaine - a narcotic (alkaloid) extracted from coca leaves; used as a surface anesthetic or taken for pleasure; can become powerfully addictive

tornado

noun whirlwind, storm, hurricane, gale, cyclone, typhoon, tempest, squall, twister (U.S. informal), windstorm The tornado tossed homes around like litter.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

إعْصار دَوّاميإِعْصَارٌ قُمْعِيّاعصار

tornádo

tornado

Tornado

ανεμοστρόβιλος λαίλαπα σίφουνας

tornado

pyörremyrskytornadotrombi

tornade cyclone

तूफान

tornado

tornádó

skÿstrókur; hvirfilbylur

tornado uragano ciclone

竜巻トルネード

토네이도폭풍

tornadastrombasviesulas

tornado, viesuļvētra

tornado

ciclone tornado

смерч торнадо

tornado

tornadotromb

พายุทอร์นาโด

kasırga siklontornado

cơn lốc xoáy

龙卷风

tornado

[tɔːˈneɪdəʊ] N (tornados, tornadoes (pl)) → tornado m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

tornado

[tɔː^rˈneɪdəʊ] [tornadoes] (pl) n → tornade f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

tornado

n pl <-es> → Tornado m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

tornado

[tɔːˈneɪdəʊ] n (tornadoes (pl)) → tornado

tornado

(toːˈneidəu) – plural torˈnadoes – noun

a violent whirlwind that can cause great damage. The village was destroyed by a tornado.

tornado

→ إِعْصَارٌ قُمْعِيّ tornádo tornado Tornado σίφουνας tornado pyörremyrsky tornade tornado tornado 竜巻 토네이도 tornado tornado tornado tornado торнадо tromb พายุทอร์นาโด kasırga cơn lốc xoáy 龙卷风

References in classic literature ?

"It was then that I rushed in like a tornado, wasn't it?" Mr.

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I can speed onward with the rapidity of a tornado, sometimes at the loftiest heights, sometimes only a hundred feet above the soil, while the map of Africa unrolls itself beneath my gaze in the great atlas of the world."

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He could spring twenty feet across space at the dizzy heights of the forest top, and grasp with unerring precision, and without apparent jar, a limb waving wildly in the path of an approaching tornado.

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He could not comprehend what the tornado had been about.

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All was the same: there were the same old card tables and the same chandelier with a cover over it; but someone had already seen the young master, and, before he had reached the drawing room, something flew out from a side door like a tornado and began hugging and kissing him.

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All about him branches and leaves filled the air or fell to earth, torn away by the strength of the tornado and the weight of the water upon them.

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Sam, upon this, began to bestir himself in real earnest, and after a while appeared, bearing down gloriously towards the house, with Bill and Jerry in a full canter, and adroitly throwing himself off before they had any idea of stopping, he brought them up alongside of the horse-post like a tornado. Haley's horse, which was a skittish young colt, winced, and bounced, and pulled hard at his halter.

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Minor tempests that burst from a clear sky, apparently without cause, and the great final tornado. There had been cause enough for that.

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An atmospheric demonstration once very common but now generally abandoned for the tornado and cyclone.

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Enveloped in the tornado of his inane scurryings and barkings I took Mrs.

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With the tornado of his breath, he could have stripped the roofs from a hundred dwellings and sent thousands of the inhabitants whirling through the air.

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"Yes," said Mills thoughtfully, "you are not a leaf, you might have been a tornado yourself."