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A violent whirling wind; specifically (Meteorol.), a tempest distinguished by a rapid whirling and slow progressive motion, usually accompaned with severe thunder, lightning, and torrents of rain, and commonly of short duration and small breadth; a small cyclone.

A cellar or excavation used for refuge from a cyclone, or tornado. [Middle U. S.]

To revolve round a central point; to move spirally about an axis, as a tornado; to revolve.

-- Land spout, a descent of cloud and water in a conical form during the occurrence of a tornado and heavy rainfall on land. -- Land steward, a person who acts for another in the management of land, collection of rents, etc. -- Land tortoise, Land turtle (Zoöl.), any tortoise that habitually lives on dry land, as th…

A remarkable meteorological phenomenon, of the nature of a tornado or whirlwind, usually observed over the sea, but sometimes over the land.

A violent windstorm of limited extent, as the tornado, characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air with an upward current in the center; a vortex of air. It usually has a rapid progressive motion. The swift dark whirlwind that uproots the woods. And drowns the villages. Bryant.