westerly1
/ˈwɛstəli
/adjective & adverb
1In a westward position or direction: [as adjective]: he stumbled slowly along in a westerly direction the westerly end of Sunset Boulevard [as adverb]: our plan was to keep westerly...
- After climbing a steep rise for about twenty minutes the road crested, then began to slope downwards, taking a more westerly direction.
- I was using the binoculars and could see it clearly and started moving in a westerly direction picking up speed as it went.
- Occasionally, vehicles would park facing in a westerly direction.
1.1(Of a wind) blowing from the west: [as adjective]: a stiff westerly breeze...
- When the high pressure systems move north during winter, southern Australia comes under the influence of westerly winds and rain-bearing cold fronts.
- There was a strong westerly wind blowing that day, around 20-25 knots but the object didn't appear to be drifting.
- A light westerly wind blew, gentle as the day, and whipped up the dusts moving them to scattered graves and other surrounding parts of the city.
noun (plural westerlies)
1A wind blowing from the west: high ground and prevailing westerlies give a lot of rainfall...
- Research showed that the prevailing westerly would blow the pollution out from the city to the Hauraki Gulf and the sea breeze would bring it back again, so for one to three days it would build up until a sou'wester blew it away again.
- The powerful westerly that blew down from the, icy summits of British Columbia's Coast Mountains in the middle of the night threatened to send our tent and everything in it into Shack Lake.
- The prevailing westerly will make itself known a little after lunch, and often picks up as the afternoon progresses until it's quite strong by about sunset.
1.1 (westerlies) The belt of prevailing westerly winds in medium latitudes in the southern hemisphere: icebergs tend to follow recognized paths eastward and north through the westerlies...
- The prevailing winds are strong westerlies, generally good news, but it's important to remember you do have to come back.
- The jet streams, the trade winds, westerlies, polar easterlies and other global and local winds all help to give the planet distinct zones, from polar or temperate to Mediterranean or tropical.
- The combination of the deepening trough and the strengthening downstream ridge allows the bottom portion of the trough to separate from the main belt of the westerlies.
Origin
Late 15th century: from obsolete wester 'western' + -ly1.
Westerly2
/ˈwestərlē
/An industrial and resort town in southwestern Rhode Island, on the Connecticut border; population 23,377 (est. 2008).