From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsquallsquall1 /skwɔːl $ skwɒːl/ noun [countable] HEMa sudden strong wind, especially one that brings rain or snow snow squalls
Examples from the Corpus
squall• It was accompanied by a squall of spittle.• Twice a squall bowled him into the water as he followed the shore round.• The mariners spent the night in such shelter as they could find from the 30-knot winds, drenching squalls and menacing waves.• Suddenly the sharp, heavy squall of the air raid siren lashed the silence between them.• Still wet from a recent rain squall, the city lay glistening in the sun.• Rodomonte hardly noticed the magnificent, unearthly architecture preserved so beautifully away from the squalls of the less temperate zones.• The squall was a prelude to a fully-fledged gale, heralded well in advance by warnings from the meteorologists.• A violent squall sank both ships.squallsquall2 verb [intransitive] CRYif a baby or child squalls, it cries noisily SYN bawl→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
squall• My baby breaks away from me, squalling.• When I arrived squalling -- no doubt prescient about my imminent fate -- the streets were half black.• When the baby went on squalling, the orphanage offered her a substitute; she declined the offer.Origin squall1 (1600-1700) Probably from a Scandinavian language squall2 (1600-1700) From a Scandinavian language 