Meaning
A violent wind in the form of a mobile, rapidly rotating, funnel cloud that has contacted the ground.
Etymology
Origin: Latin
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”).
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 4 recorded puzzles: