trade winds
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Winds that blow trade, i.e. regularly in one track or direction (Low Ger. trade, track).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “trade winds” mean?
Winds that blow trade, i.e. regularly in one track or direction (Low Ger. trade, track).
Is “trade winds” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.