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foehn

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foehn

[feyn; Ger. fœn]
–noun
a warm, dry wind descending a mountain, as on the north side of the Alps.
Also, föhn.


Origin:
1860–65; < G Föhn (orig. in Alpine dialects), MHG foenne, OHG phōnno < VL *faōnius, for L Favōnius Favonius
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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foehn also föhn   (fɶn, fān)   
n.  A warm dry wind coming off the lee slopes of a mountain range, especially off the northern slopes of the Alps.

[German Föhn, from Middle High German fɶnne, from Old High German phōno, from Vulgar Latin *faōnius, from Latin favōnius, the west wind, from favēre, to be favorable.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

foehn

warm and dry, gusty wind that periodically descends the leeward slopes of nearly all mountains and mountain ranges. The name was first applied to a wind of this kind that occurs in the Alps, where the phenomenon was first studied.

Learn more about foehn with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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