nor'easter

American

[nawr-ee-ster] / ˌnɔrˈi stər /

noun

Meteorology.

an eastern North American storm that usually develops between the Georgia and New Jersey latitudes, progressing northeastward and typified by potentially violent northeast winds: most frequent and intense from September through April, nor’easters can develop within a hundred miles of the east coast and commonly bring heavy rain or snow and coastal damage.

The nor’easter of 1992 breached the island and destroyed many homes.

Etymology

Origin of nor'easter

First recorded in 1830–40; by shortening of northeaster

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The so-called "nor'easter" has now moved away from the US and across coastal parts of eastern Canada, though strong winds are expected to persist, according to the National Weather Service.

From BBC

It's expected to be the most powerful nor'easter storm in nearly a decade for many parts of the northeast, bringing snow, fierce winds and coastal flooding.

From BBC

Gulf of Mexico- and Atlantic-brewed atmospheric rivers often feed into heavy rain and snow of winter nor'easters across the eastern U.S.

From National Geographic

For example, nor'easters — or intense storms that originate off the American northeast — are going to happen regardless of climate change.

From Salon

As Mann put it, they will use "high-resolution climate model simulations that better resolve the dynamics of powerful winter storms like nor'easters."

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023