khamsin
/ˈkæm.sɪn/ noun
Forms khamsins chamsin hamsin khamseen khamaseen kamsin kamseen
- noun A hot, dry wind, common in Egypt, Sudan and the Levant towards the end of March and April, which blows (for about 50 days each year) from the desert, bringing with it hot weather and sand / sandstorms.
Synonyms
khamaseen
Etymology
From Egyptian Arabic خَمْسِين (ḵamsīn, “fifty”); see khamaseen for more.
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [Ar. khamsin, fr. khamsun, oblique case khamsin, fifty; -- so called because it blows for about fifty days, from April till June.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “khamsin”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details