harmattan
UK /ˌhɑːməˈtæn/ · US /ˌhɑɹməˈtæn/ noun
Forms harmattans
- noun A dry and dusty wind which blows from the Sahara over the Atlantic coast of West Africa in December, January and February, being a hot wind in some areas and a cold wind in others.
- noun A season which spans the period in which the harmattan wind blows.
Etymology
From Twi Akan haramata or a related word (whence also Spanish harmatán). The ultimate origin is supposed by some to be an Arabic word, but which one is uncertain; حَرَام (ḥarām, “accursed thing”) has been suggested.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A dry, hot wind, prevailing on the Atlantic coast of Africa, in December, January, and February, blowing from the interior or Sahara.
Etymology [F. harmattan, prob. of Arabic origin.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “harmattan”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details