Word of the Day : March 12, 2021
williwaw
威利瓦飑(biao)
noun WILL-ih-waw
Definition
1 a : a sudden violent gust of cold land air common along mountainous coasts of high latitudes
在高纬度山区沿海常见的突然的冷气猛烈阵风
b : a sudden violent wind
突然的狂风
2 : a violent commotion
剧烈的骚动
Examples
"Following a short morning landing at a place called Cape San Isidro—where, due to gusts and williwaws, we were restricted to one of those unremarkable cruise excursions that involve several dozen people walking aimlessly around a beach—we sailed west." — Chris Moss, The Daily Telegraph (London), 1 Dec. 2020
早上在一个叫圣伊西德罗角的地方短暂停留后—那里由于大风和williwaws的影响，我们只能在普通的游轮旅行，只有几十个人在海滩上漫无目的地散步—我们向西航行。”
"The area is famous for williwaws. In severe weather these katabatic winds have been recorded to locally exceed 130 knots." — Michael van Bregt, Yachting World, July 2020
该地区以 williwaws 而闻名。在恶劣的天气情况下，当地的下降风（下破风）已经超过130海里。”
Did You Know?
In 1900, Captain Joshua Slocum described williwaws as "compressed gales of wind … that Boreas handed down over the hills in chunks." To unsuspecting sailors or pilots, such winds might seem to come out of nowhere—just like word williwaw did centuries ago. All anyone knows about the origin of the word is that it was first used by 19th-century writers to name fierce winds in the Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of South America. The writers were British, and indications are that they may have learned the word from British sailors and seal hunters. Where these sailors and hunters got the word, we cannot say.
1900年，Captain Joshua Slocum 将williwaws描述为“compressed gales of wind「被压缩的大风」……that Boreas 越过群山吹下山丘。”对于不知情的水手或飞行员来说，这样的风似乎是凭空而来的——就像几个世纪前的 williwaw 的那样。关于这个词的起源，所有人都知道的是，它最初是19世纪的作家用来命名南美南端麦哲伦海峡的狂风。作者是英国人，有迹象表明他们可能从英国水手和海豹猎人那里学到了这个词。我们不知道这些水手和猎人是从哪里得知的这个词。
Test Your Vocabulary
What 6-letter word begins with "b" and ends in "r" and can be used as a form of informal address (like buddy) or, in Australia, can refer to a sudden violent wind coming from the south?
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