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Added 8 October 2026

tornado

/tɔː(ɹ)ˈneɪ.dəʊ/ noun

In Latin: turbō, vertex Wiktionary

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

A localized and violently destructive windstorm occurring over land characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground.
A purified and potent form of cocaine that is smoked rather than snorted; highly addictive.

Origin

From earlier English ternado, attested since the 1550s as a nautical term for a windy thunderstorm. From Spanish tronada (“thunderstorm”), from tronar (“to thunder”), from Latin tonō (“to thunder”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tenh₂- (“to thunder”). The o and r were reversed in English (metathesis) under influence of Spanish tornar (“to twist, to turn”), from Latin tornō (“to turn”).

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

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