equinoctial storm
- noun
- /ˌɛkwɪˈnɒkʃəl stɔrm/
- Each year, the region braces itself for a potential equinoctial storm in September.
Examples
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The damage caused by the equinoctial storm was severe, flooding homes and uprooting trees.
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The equinoctial storm caused widespread flooding last year.
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The sailors were caught in an unexpected equinoctial storm while crossing the Atlantic.
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Many farmers worry about the equinoctial storms damaging their crops.
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The fishermen prepared for the approaching equinoctial storm, knowing it could bring heavy rain and strong winds.
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During the equinoctial storm, many trees were uprooted by the powerful gusts that swept through the area.
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As summer faded, residents braced themselves for an equinoctial storm that often marked the change of seasons.
Synonyms
A short time when a lot of rain falls, often with strong wind
A sudden very heavy fall of rain that soaks everything
A violent rainstorm that moves in a long line across land around the equinox
A sudden strong storm with heavy rain and thunder
How Violent
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a violent rainstorm occurring around the equinox' follows directly from combining 'equinoctial' (occurring at or characteristic of the equinoxes) with 'storm' (a violent weather event). This straightforward adjective+noun composition is compositional and mirrors similar constructions in other languages, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Equinoctial storm comes from equinoctial, the time when day and night are about the same length, and storm. People long ago noticed strong rains and winds often at that time, so the phrase means 'a violent rainstorm that happens around the equinox'.