monsoon
mon-SOON
/mɒnˈsuːn/
A seasonal prevailing wind pattern that brings heavy rains, typically in South and Southeast Asia.
Technically refers to the seasonal shift in wind direction, though colloquially used to mean torrential seasonal downpours.
The story behind the word. Arab navigators sailing the Indian Ocean tracked predictable seasonal wind reversals that allowed them to trade efficiently between Arabia and India. They called these periods 'mausim' (seasons). Portuguese sailors adapted the word into 'monção', which Dutch and English traders adopted as 'monsoon' to describe both winds and torrential rains.
Word relationships
- rainy season: Rainy season describes any period of prolonged precipitation, whereas monsoon denotes a wind-driven climatic shift.
- drought: Drought represents prolonged moisture shortage, whereas a monsoon brings overwhelming seasonal water.
Commonly confused with
- typhoon: A typhoon is a specific tropical cyclone storm system, whereas a monsoon is an entire seasonal wind pattern.
Word family
- monsoonal (adjective): Pertaining to or caused by a monsoon.
Collocations
- monsoon season
- monsoon rains
- monsoon winds
- summer monsoon
Example sentences
- "Farmers across South Asia eagerly await the arrival of the summer monsoon to hydrate their crops." Agricultural economics
- "The shift in wind direction associated with the winter monsoon brings dry air from the continental interior." Meteorology
Memory hook
MONSOON arrives soon in the wet season. MONSOON = Seasonal wind coming SOON with rain.
When not to use
Do not call any short afternoon thunderstorm a monsoon unless it is part of a broader seasonal wind system.
Fun facts
- Cherrapunji in India, famous for its monsoon intensity, once received over 26,000 millimeters (1,000 inches) of rain in a single year.
Related words
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