Tornados

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /tɔː(ɹ)ˈneɪ.dəʊz/

Definitions

1. A rapidly rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground, characterized by its destructive power and potential to cause severe damage
2. A weather phenomenon that creates a violent and twisting funnel of wind, often leading to significant destruction in its path
3. A natural disaster that forms from convective storm systems, resulting in strong winds capable of uprooting trees and leveling buildings

Etymology: The most surprising fact here is that the word got its shape by a kind of mix-up. In English, "tornado" began as "ternado," a nautical term from the 1550s for a windy thunderstorm, borrowed from Spanish "tronada," meaning thunderstorm, which comes from "tronar," to thunder, and ultimately from Latin "tonare." English speakers then swapped the "o" and "r," a process called metathesis, and the new form was reinforced by Spanish "tornar," to twist or turn, from Latin "tornare." The result is that a word originally about thunder ended up sounding like a word about turning. The plural "tornados" is the form of "tornado" that takes a regular English "-s" ending, making the noun count multiple storms. Many English speakers also write "tornadoes," which follows the same pattern as "potatoes" and "heroes." Both spellings are accepted for the plural.

Synonyms: twisters, cyclones, hurricanes