Phrase guide

trade wind

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈtɹeɪd ˈwɪnd/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪnd

1

noun

Meaning 1

A steady wind that blows from east to west above and below the equator.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • They rode the trade winds going west.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: easterly

Antonyms: westerly

2

noun

Meaning 2

steady winds blowing from east to west above and below the equator

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they rode the trade winds going west

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: trade

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: prevailing wind

History

Etymology

Compound of trade (“course, path (of running)”, from 14th c.) + wind, because of their consistent linear direction. Associations with transatlantic trade are a later folk etymology.

Across languages

Translations

44 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: vents alisis — steady wind
  • Catalan: alisis — steady wind
  • Chinese Mandarin: 信風 /信风 (xìnfēng) — steady wind
  • Chinese Mandarin: 貿易風 /贸易风 (màoyìfēng) — steady wind
  • Czech: pasát — steady wind
  • Danish: passat — steady wind
  • Danish: passatvind — steady wind
  • Dutch: passaat — steady wind
  • Finnish: pasaatituuli — steady wind
  • French: alizé — steady wind
  • French: vent alizé — steady wind
  • German: Passat — steady wind
  • German: Passatwind — steady wind
  • Greek: αληγείς άνεμοι (aligeís ánemoi) — steady wind
  • Hebrew: רוּחוֹת הַסַּחַר (rukhot hasakhar) — steady wind
  • Hebrew: רוּחוֹת הַמִסְחָר (rukhot hamiskhar) — steady wind
  • Hebrew: פָּסָטִים (passatim) — steady wind
  • Hungarian: passzát — steady wind
  • Hungarian: passzátszél — steady wind
  • Indonesian: angin pasat — steady wind
  • Indonesian: pasat — steady wind
  • Irish: trádghaoth — steady wind
  • Italian: aliseo — steady wind
  • Japanese: 貿易風 (bōekifū) — steady wind
  • Kazakh: өкпе жел (ökpe jel) — steady wind
  • Korean: 무역풍 (muyeokpung) — steady wind
  • Latvian: pasāts — steady wind
  • Lithuanian: pasãtas — steady wind
  • Norwegian Bokmål: passat — steady wind
  • Norwegian Bokmål: passatvind — steady wind
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: passat — steady wind
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: passatvind — steady wind
  • Odia: ଟ୍ରେଡ଼୍ ଉଇଣ୍ଡ (ṭreṛ uiṇḍa) — steady wind
  • Persian: باد بازرگانی (bâd-e bâzargâni) — steady wind
  • Polish: pasat — steady wind
  • Portuguese: alisado — steady wind
  • Portuguese: aliseu — steady wind
  • Portuguese: alísio — steady wind
  • Romanian: alizeu — steady wind
  • Russian: пасса́т (passát) — steady wind
  • Spanish: vientos alisios — steady wind
  • Spanish: alisios — steady wind
  • Vietnamese: gió mậu dịch — steady wind
  • Vietnamese: gió tín phong — steady wind