Crossword clues for williwaw
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Williwaw \Wil"li*waw\, Willywaw \Wil"ly*waw\, n. (Naut.)
A whirlwind, or whirlwind squall, encountered in the Straits
of Magellan.
--W. C. Russell.
Wiktionary
n. (context nautical English) a strong gust of cold wind
Wikipedia
In meteorology, a williwaw is a sudden blast of wind descending from a mountainous coast to the sea. The word is of unknown origin, but was earliest used by British seamen in the 19th century. The usage appears for winds found in the Strait of Magellan, the Aleutian Islands and the coastal fjords of the Alaskan Panhandle, where the terms outflow wind and squamish wind are also used for the same phenomenon. On Greenland the word piteraq is used.
The williwaw results from the descent of cold, dense air from the snow and ice fields of coastal mountains in high latitudes, accelerated by the force of gravity. Thus the williwaw is considered a type of katabatic wind.
Williwaw is the debut novel of Gore Vidal, written when he was 19 and first mate of a U.S. Army supply ship stationed in the Aleutian Islands. The story combines war drama, maritime adventure and a murder plot. The book was first published in 1946 in the United States by E.P. Dutton. Williwaw is the term, widely thought to be Native American in origin, for a sudden, violent katabatic wind common to the Aleutian Islands.
Usage examples of "williwaw".
Only cold, the prick of spinning dirt, the scents of grain and clover, the taste of clean air, and the rumble of a rising williwaw existed here.
Ecu tried to bring his thoughts under control, just as he wished, with equal lack of success, that he could cause this williwaw to subside into a calm.
Tropical downpours part at my arrival, and williwaws steal in haste from my sight.