westerly

¹

[ wes-ter-lee ]

adjective

1. moving, directed, or situated toward the west:

   the westerly end of the field.

2. (especially of a wind) coming from the west:

   a westerly gale.

adverb

1. toward the west:

   to escape westerly.

2. from the west:

   a sharp wind blowing westerly.

noun

, plural west·er·lies.

1. a wind that blows from the west:

   an occasional westerly that pommeled the island.

2. westerlies, (used with a plural verb) any semipermanent belt of westerly winds, especially those that prevail at latitudes lying between the tropical and polar regions of the earth.

Westerly

²

[ wes-ter-lee ]

noun

1. a town in SW Rhode Island.

westerly

/ ˈwɛstəlɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or situated in the west

adverb

1. towards or in the direction of the west
2. (esp of the wind) from the west

noun

1. a wind blowing from the west

westerly

/ wĕs′tər-lē /

1. A wind, especially a prevailing wind, that blows from the west. The prevailing winds in the middle latitudes are westerlies.
2. See illustration at wind

westerly

1. See prevailing westerlies .

Derived Forms

• ˈwesterliness, noun

Other Words From

• wester·li·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of westerly¹

1570–80; west + -erly, as in easterly

Example Sentences

Strong westerly winds “shoved the fire into Wrightwood” when it crossed Highway 2 on Tuesday night, with gusts reaching up to 50 mph, Sherwin said.

From Los Angeles Times

Next week, we are back to westerly winds with dry spells and some sunshine, but also showers and longer spells of rain at times, especially in the north and west.

From BBC

Other research has suggested that these westerlies will strengthen over the next century due to climate change.

From Science Daily

As with all longer-range forecasts however, "there remains some risk of a wetter westerly or even north-westerly flow bringing cooler conditions at times".

From BBC

Until now, it has been believed that intensified westerly winds north of the Amundsen Sea propelled ocean currents along the shelf break, carrying warmer water toward ice shelf cavities.

From Science Daily