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Added 9 October 2026

monsoon

/mɒnˈsuːn/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about monsoon at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A seasonal wind in southern Asia; blows from the southwest (bringing rain) in summer and from the northeast in winter.
Rainy season in southern Asia when the southwestern monsoon blows, bringing heavy rains.
Any wind that changes direction with the seasons.

Origin

Borrowed from Portuguese monção and Dutch moesson, from Arabic مَوْسِم (mawsim, “season”), from وَسَمَ (wasama, “to mark, to brand”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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