roaring forties

roaring forties

noun
either of two areas in the ocean between 40° and 50° N or S latitude, noted for high winds and rough seas.

Origin:
1875–80
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Roaring forties is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
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World English Dictionary
Roaring Forties
 
pl n
nautical the Roaring Forties the areas of ocean between 40° and 50° latitude in the S Hemisphere, noted for gale-force winds

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

roaring forties

areas between latitudes 40 and 50 south in the Southern Hemisphere, where the prevailing winds blow persistently from the west. The roaring forties have strong, often gale-force, winds throughout the year. They were named by the sailors who first entered these latitudes.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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