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Glite Dictionary
prevailing wind

prevailing wind

5 3.9
The direction the wind blows most often in an area
  • noun
  • /prɪˈveɪlɪŋ wɪnd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : viento predominante
  • In the 1970s and 1980s, the prevailing wind direction around the village was east-west.
  • the prevailing wind direction
  • prevailing winds and current

Examples

  • However, it soon became clear that prevailing winds were carrying the radiation to the north, and a new zone was added.

  • The extreme weather conditions and ice cover of the polar areas are critical drivers of prevailing wind and ocean currents throughout the world.

    Academic text (1992)

  • But if the prevailing winds were blowing from the south instead of the north this conversation would not be taking place.

    Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

  • The prevailing winds and current flows in this lake are into the beach area.

    Academic text (1994)

  • The water was 70 degrees, the prevailing wind there, straight offshore.

    The Endless Summer (1966)

  • Because of prevailing winds, emissions from Chinese factories have reached Korea and Japan as acid rain and "yellow dust."

    Academic text (2013)

  • Fortunately, for the Japanese, the prevailing winds are eastwards out over the oceans.

    Blog text (25)

  • Because the prevailing winds blow from the northeast, ozone contamination mostly affects the residential southwestern section of the city.

    Academic text (1997)

  • The virus-laden air was then transported by prevailing winds to adjacent buildings at Amoy Gardens, where additional exposures occurred.

    Academic text (2006)

  • When placing a stand, one must take the prevailing wind direction into account.

Synonyms

airstream
vsprevailing wind
1 4.2

A steady current of air that moves across a region

focuses on the direction air most often comes from in an area or period

Surface Forms

prevailing wind singular
prevailing winds plural

Morphology

prevailing + wind

The meaning is directly compositional: 'prevailing' = most widespread and 'wind' = moving air, so together they denote the wind that blows most often (or the direction it usually comes from). This adjective+noun pattern is a standard, cross-linguistic construction in English, so a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Prevailing wind comes from the simple picture of one wind that blows more often than the others. So prevailing, meaning 'the strongest', plus wind tells you it is 'the wind that blows most often', which is why builders and farmers watch it when they plan houses or plant trees.