monsoon
monsoon — noun
1. The period each year when very heavy rain falls across South and Southeast Asia,
The period each year when very heavy rain falls across South and Southeast Asia, normally lasting several weeks during the summer.
Every year during the monsoon, the streets of Mumbai flood with rainwater.
Gita’s family depends on the monsoon rains to grow rice for the whole year.
collocation: monsoon rains
The monsoon arrived three weeks late this year, worrying farmers across the region.
Mayumi’s family stores extra food and water before the monsoon begins each June.
When Noor was young, the monsoon often kept children indoors for days at a time.
- rainy season
more general term used for any region with a distinct wet period; 'monsoon' is specific to Asia
- wet season
broader term used in tropical climates worldwide; lacks the historical and cultural associations of 'monsoon'
- dry season
the part of the year when little or no rain falls in a monsoon climate
用法筆記
In everyday speech, 'monsoon' sometimes refers to any period of very heavy rain, but the strict meaning is tied to the seasonal weather pattern of South and Southeast Asia. The article 'the' is almost always used: 'the monsoon.'
2. A wind pattern over South Asia that changes direction twice a year: in summer it
A wind pattern over South Asia that changes direction twice a year: in summer it arrives from the southwest carrying moisture and heavy rain, while in winter it comes from the northeast with dry air.
The southwest monsoon carries moist air from the Indian Ocean toward the coast of India.
collocation: southwest monsoon
Ancient sailors used the monsoon winds to guide their trading ships across the Indian Ocean.
collocation: monsoon winds
When the winter monsoon arrives from the northeast, Daichi’s hometown becomes dry and cool.
Imran’s uncle, who works at the weather station, tracks the monsoon winds every summer.
Aarav learned in geography how the monsoon winds shaped trade across Asia.
- trade wind
similar concept of a reliable directional wind, but trade winds are steady year-round and occur globally, not reversing seasonally like a monsoon
用法筆記
This sense refers to the wind system itself rather than the rainfall. Meteorologists distinguish between the 'summer monsoon' (southwest, wet) and 'winter monsoon' (northeast, dry).