Link Centre Dictionary

harmattan

har·mat·tan

UK/ˌhɑːməˈtæn/ US/ˌhɑːˈmætən/ uncommon

noun

1.

a dusty wind from the Sahara that blows toward the western coast of Africa during the winter

Origin

From Twi Akan haramata or a related word (whence also Spanish harmatán). The ultimate origin is supposed by some to be an Arabic word, but which one is uncertain; حَرَام (ḥarām, “accursed thing”) has been suggested.

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.