borasca

[ buh-ras-kuh ]

noun

, Meteorology.

1. (especially in the Mediterranean) a squall, usually accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Word History and Origins

Origin of borasca¹

First recorded in 1680–90; from Italian bor(r)asca, equivalent to borr- (ultimately from Greek borrâs, Attic variant of boréas “north wind”) + -asca (noun suffix; perhaps of pre-Latin origin); replacing borasque, from Middle French