Northwind

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A chilly breeze that originates from the northern direction
2. A cold current of air moving southward from northern regions
3. A wind coming from the north that typically brings cooler temperatures

Etymology: "Northwind" is simply the closed-up spelling of "north wind," and its history is as plain as its parts. It descends from Old English "norþwind," built from "norþ" (north) and "wind," so the word is a straightforward compound of two ancient English elements rather than a borrowing from Latin or French. The same pairing turns up across the Germanic languages, which points to a shared heritage. Dutch has "noordwind" and German has "Nordwind," each assembled from the same kind of direction word and the same word for moving air. English simply kept the two halves together, and the old compound has outlasted many of its neighbours in everyday speech.

Synonyms: northerly wind