föhn

/ føːn; fɜːn /

noun

1. a warm dry wind blowing down the northern slopes of the Alps. It originates as moist air blowing from the Mediterranean, rising on reaching the Alps and cooling at the saturated adiabatic lapse rate, and descending on the leeward side, warming at the dry adiabatic lapse rate, thus gaining heat See also lapse rate

Word History and Origins

Origin of föhn¹

German, from Old High German phōnno , from Latin favōnius ; related to fovēre to warm