German word

Tornado

Pronunciation

IPA/tɔʁˈnaːdo/

Meaning

  • masculine nountornado

Example

Wir sahen einen Tornado am Horizont.

We saw a tornado on the horizon.

Illustration for Tornado (tornado)

More examples

Die Bewohner brachten sich in Sicherheit, als ein Tornado in der Nähe aufkam.

The residents got to safety when a tornado formed nearby.

Core concept

A narrow, violently spinning column reaches from a cloud down to the ground.

Common phrases

  • einen Tornado sehen

    see a tornado

  • sich vor einem Tornado in Sicherheit bringen

    get to safety from a tornado

  • einem Tornado zum Opfer fallen

    fall victim to a tornado

Similar words

Orkan: A very powerful windstorm affects a wide area and can badly damage buildings and trees.
Sturm: Severe weather with strong winds and often heavy rain.
Windhose: A small, local rotating column of air that may reach the ground.
Trichterwolke: An inverted funnel-shaped rotating cloud that has not reached the ground.

Definition in German

Tornado ist ein sehr starker, schnell rotierender Wirbelwind in Form einer schlanken Säule, die Boden und Wolken verbindet.

Word origin

German Tornado is an international borrowing ultimately derived from Spanish tornado, the past participle of tornar, 'to turn'.

Usage tips

  • Tornado is masculine in German, so the forms are der Tornado and einen Tornado.

Opposites

  • Windstillecalmnoun

Related words

  • Tornadowarnungtornado warningnoun
  • Tornadojägertornado chasernoun
  • tornadöstornadicadjective

Word lists with this word