Definition

Noun: * Antitrade wind: A persistent wind that blows from the west to the east in the upper atmosphere of the tropics, specifically above and in the opposite direction to the surface trade winds.

Usage

• The term is used in meteorology and geography to describe a specific component of the Earth's atmospheric circulation system.
• It is often discussed in contrast to the trade winds, which are the easterly surface winds found in the same tropical regions.
• Example: "The antitrade wind carries moisture and weather systems from west to east at higher altitudes."

Examples

• "Sailors in the Age of Sail were primarily concerned with the surface trade winds, unaware of the antitrade winds flowing above them."
• "The rising air from the equatorial region eventually turns and flows poleward as part of the antitrade wind."
• "Meteorologists study the antitrade wind to understand global heat distribution."

Advanced Usage

• The antitrade winds are a key component of the Hadley Cell circulation, returning air poleward and eastward after it rises near the equator.
• In some contexts, the term can be synonymous with the anti-trades or the upper westerlies in the tropical atmosphere.

Variants and Related Words

• Anti-trades (noun): An alternative term for antitrade winds.
• Trade wind (noun): The easterly surface wind that blows toward the equator, lying beneath the antitrade wind.
• Westerly (noun/adjective): A wind blowing from the west. The antitrade wind is a tropical westerly wind aloft.

Synonyms

• Upper westerlies (in tropical context)
• Anti-trades

Different Meanings

• There are no significantly different common meanings for this specific meteorological term. Its meaning is consistently tied to atmospheric science.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• This is a technical scientific term and is not used in idiomatic expressions.

Noun

1. winds blowing from west to east and lying above the trade winds in the tropics