trade wind

trade wind
/wind/
1. Also trade winds. Also called trades. any of the nearly constant easterly winds that dominate most of the tropics and subtropics throughout the world, blowing mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere, and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere.
2. any wind that blows in one regular course, or continually in the same direction.
[1625-35]

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▪ air current
      persistent wind that blows westward and toward the Equator from the subtropical high-pressure belts toward the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). It is stronger and more consistent over the oceans than over land and often produces partly cloudy sky conditions, characterized by shallow cumulus clouds, or clear skies that make trade-wind islands popular tourist resorts. Its average speed is about 5 to 6 metres per second (11 to 13 miles per hour) but can increase to speeds of 13 metres per second (30 miles per hour) or more. The trade winds were named by the crews of sailing ships that depended on the winds during westward ocean crossings.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Trade wind — Trade Trade, n. [Formerly, a path, OE. tred a footmark. See {Tread}, n. & v.] 1. A track; a trail; a way; a path; also, passage; travel; resort. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] A postern with a blind wicket there was, A common trade to pass through Priam s …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • trade wind — ► NOUN ▪ a wind blowing steadily towards the equator from the north east in the northern hemisphere or the south east in the southern hemisphere, especially at sea. ORIGIN from the obsolete phrase blow trade «blow steadily», from a former meaning …   English terms dictionary

  • trade wind — n. [earlier trade, adv., steadily in phr. to blow trade] a wind that blows steadily toward the equator from the northeast in the tropics north of the equator and from the southeast in the tropics south of the equator …   English World dictionary

  • trade wind — n [Date: 1600 1700; Origin: trade course (14 17 centuries); TRADE1] a tropical wind that blows towards the ↑equator from either the northeast or the southeast …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • trade wind — [ treıd ,wınd ] noun count a wind that blows continuously toward the EQUATOR (=the Earth s central line) …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • trade wind — trade′ wind [[t]wɪnd[/t]] n. mer Often, trade winds. any of the nearly constant easterly winds that dominate most of the world s tropics and subtropics, blowing mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere, and from the southeast in the… …   From formal English to slang

  • trade wind — is written as two words …   Modern English usage

  • trade wind — noun steady winds blowing from east to west above and below the equator they rode the trade winds going west • Syn: ↑trade • Hypernyms: ↑prevailing wind * * * noun Etymology: trade (IV …   Useful english dictionary

  • Trade wind — The trade winds (also called trades) are the prevailing pattern of easterly winds found in the tropics near the Earth s equator [cite web|author= |title= trade winds|work=Glossary of Meteorology |publisher= American Meteorological Society |date=… …   Wikipedia

  • trade wind — noun a wind blowing steadily towards the equator from the north east in the northern hemisphere or the south east in the southern hemisphere, especially at sea. Word History Trade wind is first recorded from the mid 17th century, and comes from… …   English new terms dictionary

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