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tornado

[tawr-ney-doh]

Example Sentences Origin

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noun, plural -does, -dos.

a localized, violently destructive windstorm occurring over land, especially in the Middle West, and characterized by a long, funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground and made visible by condensation and debris. Compare waterspout (def. 3).

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

a violent outburst, as of emotion or activity.

(initial capital letter) Military. a supersonic, two-seat, multipurpose military aircraft produced jointly by West Germany, Britain, and Italy and capable of flying in darkness and bad weather.

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Origin:
1550–60; apparently by metathesis < Spanish tronada thunderstorm, noun use of feminine of tronado, past participle of tronar < Latin tonāre to thunder; replacing 16th-century ternado, with unexplained e

Related forms

tor·nad·ic

[tawr-nad-ik, -ney-dik] , adjective

tor·na·do·like, adjective

Can be confused: cyclone, hurricane, tidal wave, tornado, tsunami, typhoon.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Tornado is always a great word to know.

So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

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Example Sentences

Experts say there will always be deaths when a strong tornado scores a direct hit on a heavily populated area.

So the tornado picks up our house and slams it down in a better neighborhood or.

One does the comforting of tornado victims and the other drives the economy and vanquishes enemies.

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Experts say there will always be deaths when a strong tornado scores a direct hit on a heavily populated area.

So the tornado picks up our house and slams it down in a better neighborhood or.

One does the comforting of tornado victims and the other drives the economy and vanquishes enemies.

Samaras is the guy running toward the tornado when everyone else is running away.

We called him for his take on the missile photo and some other images from a tornado video that some say are forged.

It survived a tornado in tact along with a dozen discs.

New technology increases tornado warning times, experts say.

From the flapping of a butterfly's wings, a huge tornado can arise.

Each truck moves into position to view a tornado from a different angle so the data will be more complete.

So far, scientists say there's no good evidence for or against a climate change influence on tornado behavior.

In addition to the rotation, there are strong upwardly directed winds in a tornado.

Being that close to a tornado and witnessing the force of nature was thrilling.

If you do it too readily and there's no tornado people will tend to dismiss them after a time.

It took me months to figure out that it was the weekly test of the tornado warning system.

Once a tornado hits the ground, it may live for as little as a few seconds or as long as three hours.

Electrical discharge is also seen within hurricane, tornado and volcanic plumes.

Of course, left out in the elements, eventually a large hail stone or tornado may come along.

The role of population shifts in the high death counts in tornado hot zones.

He once said that a tornado had dropped him down with his family.

Give our tornado quiz a whirl and see if you know these super storms.

How funnels form, what drives tornado activity, and what scientists are doing to better.

See pictures of the tornado that struck the four states in country's midsection that killed dozens and injuring hundreds.

Then black clouds form into a gigantic tornado that bears down on a.

Hatfield's mother's home, which was destroyed by the tornado that.

If you build your house on the plains you have a chance of a tornado.

Rainy weather earlier in the week was followed by a severe thunderstorm yesterday with a possible tornado as well.

So scientists are not sure if the increase in tornado numbers are due to a technology or due to an actual climate change.

Guy swirls the controller to whip enemies up in a flaming tornado.

Rare indeed is the chance to witness the stupendous power of a tornado.

Then create your own tornado and see the damage it causes.

Four churches filled with worshipers were hit by a tornado today, as some parishioners sought shelter in closets and under pews.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

tornado (tɔːˈneɪdəʊ)

—n , pl -does, -dos
1.	cyclone, Also called: twister 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.	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*

tor'nado-like

—*adj*

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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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

tornado

1556, navigator's word for violent windy thunderstorm in the tropical Atlantic, probably a mangled borrowing from Sp. tronada "thunderstorm," from tronar "to thunder," from L. tonare "to thunder" (see thunder). Metathesis of -o- and -r- in modern spelling infl. by Sp. tornar

EXPAND

"to twist, turn," from L. tornare "to turn." Meaning "extremely violent whirlwind" is first found 1626.

COLLAPSE

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

tornado

(tôr-nā'dō) Pronunciation Key
A violently rotating column of air extending from a cumulonimbus cloud to the Earth, ranging in width from a few meters to more than a kilometer and whirling at speeds between 64 km (40 mi) and 509 km (316 mi) per hour or higher with comparable updrafts in the center of the vortex. The vortex may contain several smaller vortices rotating within it. Tornadoes typically take the form of a twisting, funnel-shaped cloud extending downward from storm clouds, often reaching the ground, and dissolving into thin, ropelike clouds as the tornado dissipates. Tornadoes may travel from a few dozen meters to hundreds of kilometers along the ground. Tornadoes usually form in the tail end of violent thunderstorms, with weaker funnels sometimes forming in groups along a leading squall line of an advancing cold front or in areas near a hurricane. The strongest tornadoes, which may last several hours and travel hundreds of kilometers, can cause massive destruction in a relatively narrow strip along their path. The causes of tornado formation are not well understood.

American Heritage

Cultural Dictionary