harmattan means A dry and dusty wind which blows from the Sahara over the Atlantic coast of West Africa in December, January and February, being a hot wind in some areas and a cold wind in others. It carries an Arena rating of 1625, earned across 28 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, harmattan ranks #168 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words, #981 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words, #1,297 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #1,373 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words.
harmattan is pronounced /ˌhɑːməˈtæn/.
Why “harmattan” is a great word
HARMATTAN — [Noun] A dry, dusty wind blowing from the Sahara Desert over West Africa, typically between December and February. From Twi Akan haramata, with possible but uncertain ultimate Arabic influence; first attested in English in 1671. Unlike "monsoon," which heralds a deluge, or "sirocco," which carries its heat across the Mediterranean, the harmattan is a parching, continental breath unique to the western coast. It is the ochre veil that dims the noon sun to a dull coin, the fine grit settling between the pages of books, and the static-laden dryness that makes every touch a shock. A season defined not by what arrives, but by what is relentlessly, patiently taken away.
Etymology
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.
noun
- A dry and dusty wind which blows from the Sahara over the Atlantic coast of West Africa in December, January and February, being a hot wind in some areas and a cold wind in others.e.g.“Storm-clouds stretched their arms across the sky; from the east, to all appearances, might come a fierce harmattan, or from the south might come the fierce hurricane.” — 1900, Joshua Slocum, Sailing Alone Around the World:
- A season which spans the period in which the harmattan wind blows.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- khamaseen 63% match — An oppressive, hot, dusty, south or south-east wind occurring elsewhere in North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Levant, intermittently in late winter through late spring. vs harmattan →
- khamsin 61% match — A hot, dry wind, common in Egypt, Sudan and the Levant towards the end of March and April, which blows (for about 50 days each year) from the desert, bringing with it hot weather and sand / sandstorms. vs harmattan →
- shamal 59% match — A hot, dry wind that blows across the Persian Gulf during the summer vs harmattan →
- samiel 58% match — A hot desert wind, simoom. vs harmattan →
- haboob 58% match — A violent duststorm or sandstorm in the deserts of Arabia, North Africa, India, or North America. vs harmattan →
- simoom 56% match — A hot, dry, suffocating, dust-laden wind of the desert, particularly of Arabia, Syria, and neighboring countries, generated by the extreme heat of the parched deserts or sandy plains. vs harmattan →
- sharqi 56% match — A hot desert wind in an Arabic country, especially in North Africa. vs harmattan →
- bergwind 55% match — A hot dry wind blowing from the mountainous interior to the coast. vs harmattan →