Tornado Alley

/ˌtɔː(ɹ)ˈneɪdəʊ ˈælɪ/

proper noun

A region of the United States, located in the middle of the country, where tornadoes are particularly frequent and intense.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. USclimatologyA region of the United States, located in the middle of the country, where tornadoes are particularly frequent and intense.

Origin

From tornado + alley. Coined in 1952 by U.S. Air Force meteorologists Ernest J. Fawbush and Robert C. Miller.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Tornado Alley. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tornado%20Alley

MLA

“Tornado Alley.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tornado%20Alley. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Tornado Alley,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tornado%20Alley.

Source: Tornado Alley on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.