tornado

«tornado» in Mova's school dictionary: a very strong, spinning column of wind that reaches from… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (a tornado, tornadoes or tornados)

meaning for a pupil

1) A tornado is a very strong, spinning column of wind that reaches from a storm cloud down to the ground, shaped like a funnel. tree →

2) Figuratively, a person who moves fast and makes a mess is like a tornado. tree →

sense in the lessons

In science and geography, tornadoes form in big thunderstorms, especially in the central USA («Tornado Alley»); their winds can destroy houses. In safety lessons: in a tornado warning, go to a basement or a small inside room on the lowest floor, away from windows. Phrases: tornado warning, tornado watch, Tornado Alley.

examples

• A tornado looks like a spinning funnel. tree →
• The tornado destroyed three barns. tree →
• When the siren sounds, go to the basement. tree →
• Tornadoes happen most often in the USA. tree →
• In The Wizard of Oz, a tornado carries Dorothy's house away. tree →
• Stay away from windows during a tornado. tree →
• My little brother ran through the room like a tornado. tree →
• Scientists chase tornadoes to study them. tree →

note

Plural: tornadoes (more common) or tornados. A tornado is not a hurricane: a hurricane is a huge storm over the ocean hundreds of kilometres wide; a tornado is narrow and forms over land. Also called a twister. A watch means one could happen; a warning means one is happening or about to.

In the corpora

• A tornado warning means a tornado has been seen or found by radar, so you take shelter at once.
• The safest place in a tornado is a basement or storm shelter, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
• A mobile home or a car is not safe in a tornado; you go to a strong building or storm shelter nearby.
• During a hurricane, tornado or bushfire warning, the family follows its emergency plan and listens to official alerts.
• In a tornado people shelter in a cellar or a small room in the middle of the house, away from windows.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «tornado» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.