Pronounced: an-DROK-ruh-see, noun
Notes: This was a borderline case; I worked out this meaning — you probably can, too
Yesterday’s word
The word williwaw means
- a sudden violent gust of cold land air common along mountainous coasts of high latitudes
- a violent commotion
First usage
The word showed up in the mid-1800s
Background / Comments
Our word is interesting because it just appeared in the year above, and the origin is a mystery. It was first used to name fierce winds in the Strait of Magellan. The writers were British, so it is theorized that they learned the word from British sailors and/or seal hunters. I ran across the word in a story I read in high school that used the word to describe a storm on Attu, part of the Aleutians. I could tell from the context that it was a kind of storm, but I didn’t look up the exact meaning.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 