Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A violent gust of cold wind blowing seaward from a mountainous coast, especially in the Straits of Magellan.
  • noun A sudden gust of wind; a squall.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A sudden, violent squall of wind. Also spelled willywaw.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Naut.) A whirlwind, or whirlwind squall, encountered in the Straits of Magellan.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun nautical a strong gust of cold wind

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Origin unknown.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Unknown

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Examples

  • Palin the williwaw is about to be unleashed out of the northland like a force of nature upon the political world and, few in the lower 48 know anything about the overwhelming power of a williwaw.

    McCain campaign adviser pushes back on Palin book 2009

  • The "williwaw," sometimes called the "wooley," is one of the great terrors of Fuegian inland waters.

    The Land of Fire A Tale of Adventure Mayne Reid 1850

  • According to Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th edition, a williwaw is a “violent gust of cold land air, common along mountainous coasts of high latitudes.”

    DAY OF DECEIT ROBERT B. STINNETT 2001

  • According to Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th edition, a williwaw is a “violent gust of cold land air, common along mountainous coasts of high latitudes.”

    DAY OF DECEIT ROBERT B. STINNETT 2001

  • According to Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th edition, a williwaw is a “violent gust of cold land air, common along mountainous coasts of high latitudes.”

    DAY OF DECEIT ROBERT B. STINNETT 2001

  • According to Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th edition, a williwaw is a “violent gust of cold land air, common along mountainous coasts of high latitudes.”

    DAY OF DECEIT ROBERT B. STINNETT 2001

  • Over a cocktail the admiral called a “williwaw,” the two left work behind and discussed personal matters.4

    DAY OF DECEIT ROBERT B. STINNETT 2001

  • Over a cocktail the admiral called a “williwaw,” the two left work behind and discussed personal matters.4

    DAY OF DECEIT ROBERT B. STINNETT 2001

  • Over a cocktail the admiral called a “williwaw,” the two left work behind and discussed personal matters.4

    DAY OF DECEIT ROBERT B. STINNETT 2001

  • Over a cocktail the admiral called a “williwaw,” the two left work behind and discussed personal matters.4

    DAY OF DECEIT ROBERT B. STINNETT 2001

Comments

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  • I MUST STEAL THIS WORD. WOW.

    March 25, 2007

  • What a beauty.

    July 1, 2007

  • 1.a.: a sudden violent gust of cold land air common along mountainous coasts of high latitudes.

    1.b.: a sudden violent wind

    2 : a violent commotion

    November 15, 2007

  • "All at once the sky is obscured and swirling snow fills the air. The Aleut has a name for this sudden storm. He calls it a williwaw. He simply crawls into the nearest shelter and waits for the elements to spend their fury. Then he crawls out and continues about his daily business. Naval ships do not find their task so simple. High winds mean disturbed seas...."

    —Thomas Helm, Ordeal by Sea: The Tragedy of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, 1963 (New York: Signet, 2001), 6

    November 12, 2008

  • ""How much I regret it, that I am not reputed to perform random acts of kindness," answered Gabriel, as coldly as he could, which was not much, for a natural distaste for all kinds of authority quickly gave him the williwas in such circumstances."

    Aurorarama by Jean-Christophe Valtat, p 30

    July 19, 2011

  • Hmm, this is a common street name up here in Alaska, and there's an elementary school with that name, too. I never knew what it meant.

    July 20, 2011