tornado

noun

tor·​na·​do tȯr-ˈnā-(ˌ)dō 

plural tornadoes or tornados

1

a

: a violent destructive whirling wind accompanied by a funnel-shaped cloud that progresses in a narrow path over the land

b

: a squall accompanying a thunderstorm in Africa

2

: a violent windstorm : whirlwind

3

archaic : a tropical thunderstorm

Examples of tornado in a Sentence

in the path of a tornado

Recent Examples on the Web

In all, VanDrunen, the county’s EMA director, said that, per an Indiana Department of Homeland Security damage assessment, about 142 commercial and residential properties in Newton County had some level of damage from the tornado. —Amy Lavalley, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026

Darren Fullerton, who ran a Red Cross emergency shelter at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin after the tornado hit, still remembers the acts of kindness during those chaotic first weeks. —Pauline Bartolone, NPR, 23 May 2026

It’s been four weeks since an EF-5 tornado slammed to the ground in Joplin, its 200-mph winds scouring a three-quarter-mile-wide, six-mile-long band of devastation. —Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026

Denver emergency response officials may start using the outdoor sirens more often, including for destructive thunderstorms or flash flooding, instead of just for tornado warnings, city leaders said in a news release. —Katie Langford, Denver Post, 13 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

modification of Spanish tronada thunderstorm, from tronar to thunder, from Latin tonare — more at thunder entry 1

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for tornado

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo

Kids Definition

tornado

noun

tor·​na·​do tȯr-ˈnād-ō 

plural tornadoes or tornados

: a violent destructive whirling wind accompanied by a funnel-shaped cloud that moves in a narrow path over the land