sirocco

noun

si·​roc·​co shə-ˈrä-(ˌ)kō How to pronounce sirocco (audio)
sə-
variants or less commonly scirocco
plural siroccos
1
a
: a hot dust-laden wind from the Libyan deserts that blows on the northern Mediterranean coast chiefly in Italy, Malta, and Sicily
b
: a warm moist oppressive southeast wind in the same regions
2
: a hot or warm wind of cyclonic origin from an arid or heated region

Examples of sirocco in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On our drives, Peppe and I chat about everything from the gusty sirocco winds that blow in from the south to the humanitarian aid the Sicilian government has offered migrants who arrive on these shores from northern Africa. — Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 May 2022 The yellow fins poking ever so slightly out of the sea tend to look fragile against the raging Adriatic, in footage taken when they're raised -- normally during storms whipped up by rough sirocco winds, which blast the city from the south. — Julia Buckley, CNN, 29 Dec. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Italian scirocco, sirocco, alteration of Old Italian scilocco, from Arabic dialect (Maghreb) šlōq southeast wind, alteration of Arabic shalūq, shulūq

First Known Use

1617, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sirocco was in 1617

Rhymes for sirocco

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Cite this Entry

“Sirocco.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sirocco. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sirocco

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