Table of Contents
The word for today is…
williwaw (noun)
1a : a sudden violent gust of cold land air common along mountainous coasts of high latitudes
b : a sudden violent wind
2 : a violent commotion
Source : Merriam -Webster
Etymology : In 1900, Captain Joshua Slocum (the first person to sail solo around the world, you may recall) described williwaws as compressed gales of wind . . . that Boreas handed down over the hills in chunks. To unsuspecting sailors or pilots, such winds might seem to come out of nowhere – just like word williwaw did some 150 years ago. All anyone knows about the origin of the word is that it was first used by writers in the mid-1800s to name fierce winds in the Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of South America. The writers were British, and indications are that they may have learned the word from British sailors and seal hunters. Where they got the word, we cannot say.
If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.
