land breeze

noun

1. a coastal breeze blowing at night from land to sea, caused by the difference in the rate of cooling of their respective surfaces.

land breeze

1. The breeze that blows from the land toward the sea after sunset. The land cools more quickly than the ocean, cooling the air above it. The warmer air above the water continues to rise, and cooler air from over the land replaces it, creating a breeze. ( Compare sea breeze .)

Word History and Origins

Origin of land breeze¹

First recorded in 1660–70

Example Sentences

You land, breeze through passport control and check into a hotel within minutes.

From Economist

There is an island washed by the open sea lying off the Nile mouth—seamen call it Pharos— distant a day’s sail in a clean hull with a brisk land breeze behind.

From Literature

Usually when he smelled the land breeze he woke up and dressed to go and wake the boy.

From Literature

But tonight the smell of the land breeze came very early and he knew it was too early in his dream and went on dreaming to see the white peaks of the Islands rising from the sea and then he dreamed of the different harbours and roadsteads of the Canary Islands.

From Literature

He smelled the tar and oakum of the deck as he slept and he smelled the smell of Africa that the land breeze brought at morning.

From Literature