tramontana

[ trah-muhn-tah-nuh, -tan-uh; Italian trah-mawn-tah-nah ]

noun

, plural tra·mon·ta·nas, Italian tra·mon·ta·ne [t, r, ah-mawn-, tah, -ne].

1. a cold wind from the north or northeast that blows in the western Mediterranean.
2. any north wind issuing from a mountainous region.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tramontana¹

1605–15; < Italian, noun use of feminine of tramontano tramontane

Example Sentences

The glow of the west was on his pure young face, and the wind of the tramontana raised his waved hair and blew it lightly across his forehead.

From Project Gutenberg

Exotic plants grow and flourish, sheltered from the bitter tramontana wind.

From Project Gutenberg

The howling mistral or tramontana makes the doors bang, the reeds scream, and a range of noises that make the great, natural clamour all around.

From Project Gutenberg

The north wind is scarce at this time of the year, but a beautiful tramontana blew during the time we were working out of the Bocca.

From Project Gutenberg

The weather has cleared; slight tramontana, pure sky, with white storm- or snow-clouds collected like rolled-up curtains, everywhere on the horizon.

From Project Gutenberg