Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Occurring annually. Used of the prevailing northerly summer winds of the Mediterranean.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Recurring every year; occurring at stated times of the year; periodical. The term was especially applied by Greek and Roman writers to the winds which blow from the north during the summer months, with great regularity and accompanied by a clear sky, over the Mediterranean, especially in its eastern portion. The etesian wind is the trade-wind abnormally prolonged toward the north by the peculiar climatic influences of the Sahara.
Wiktionary
- adj. Pertaining to a dry north wind which blows in the eastern Mediterranean.
- n. A dry north wind which blows in the eastern Mediterranean.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Periodical; annual; -- applied to winds which annually blow from the north over the Mediterranean, esp. the eastern part, for an irregular period during July and August.
Etymologies
- From Latin etēsius, from Greek etēsios, from etos, year; see wet-2 in Indo-European roots.
Examples
“The vicinity of sea and lake had advantages also in the way of health: for in the summer the etesian winds set in from the north, and the lake, instead of stagnating, was kept full and sweet by the rise of the”
“The etesian winds made it impossible to bring up reënforcements, and Cæsar's force was very small.”
A Friend of Caesar A Tale of the Fall of the Roman Republic. Time, 50-47 B.C.
“The etesian winds, too, had set in, which made it difficult for his heavy vessels to work out of the harbor.”
“caes. civ.3.107": [3.107] Having observed this, he ordered other legions to be brought to him from Asia, which he had made up out of Pompey's soldiers; for he was himself detained against his will, by the etesian winds, which are totally unfavorable to persons on a voyage from Alexandria.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘etesian’.
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wind names
yet another list like this.
abroholos, alizé, amihan, habagat, barguzin wind, bayamo, bergwind, bise, bora, brickfielder, brisa, brisote and 93 more...
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Logolepsy
"Luciferous Logolepsy is a collection of over 9,000 obscure English words. Though the definition of an 'English' word might seem to be straightforward, it is not. There exist so many adopted, deriv...
Anschauung, Areopagus, Argus, Briarean, Dei gratia, Dei judicium, Deo volente, Duecento, Foehn, Geflugelte Worte, Gegenschein, Hakenkreuz and 9230 more...
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Aeolus's Vocabulary
Words concerning or relating to wind, air, sky, or heavens! Anything concerning Aeolus (King of the Winds) will be collected here.
aeromancy, zephyr, favonius, boreas, ether, etesian, empyrean, wind, breeze, gust, cyclone, nor'easter and 18 more...
reesetee Etymology according to A.W.A.D.: "The word refers to the annual summer winds of the Mediterranean. It's derived from Latin etesius, from Greek etesios, from etos (year). Ultimately from the Indo-European root wet- (year) that is also the source of such words as veteran, veal (in the sense of yearling), and veterinary (relating to the beasts of burden, perhaps alluding to old cattle), inveterate, wether, and bellwether." Jan 8, 2009
fbharjo etesian a periodic, seasonal word Jan 16, 2007