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 the past week, California saw a tornado, a major wildfire and snow.
—
Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
These cameras capture just about everything, which can make for some pretty interesting footage whether that's a load of lumber flying and hitting a single vehicle on a busy overpass or a tornado tearing through a building in Lincoln, Nebraska in a matter of seconds.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024
The National Weather Service (NWS) classified the tornado as EF1, a weaker form of tornado, according to KION-TV.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024
Phill Simon and his family were sleeping in their Glen Park home when the screech of tornado alerts going off on their phones woke them up.
—Hema Sivanandam, The Mercury News, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tornado 
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Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
These cameras capture just about everything, which can make for some pretty interesting footage whether that's a load of lumber flying and hitting a single vehicle on a busy overpass or a tornado tearing through a building in Lincoln, Nebraska in a matter of seconds.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024
The National Weather Service (NWS) classified the tornado as EF1, a weaker form of tornado, according to KION-TV.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024
Phill Simon and his family were sleeping in their Glen Park home when the screech of tornado alerts going off on their phones woke them up.
—Hema Sivanandam, The Mercury News, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tornado
Dictionary Entries Near tornado
Cite this Entry
“Tornado.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tornado. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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