Meanings
plural khamsins · alternative chamsin · alternative hamsin · alternative khamseen · alternative khamaseen · alternative kamsin · alternative kamseen
- A hot, dry wind, common in Egypt, Sudan and the Levant towards the end of March and April, which blows (for about 50 days each year) from the desert, bringing with it hot weather and sand / sandstorms.
That second spring the khamseen was worse than I have ever known it before or since.
1957, Lawrence Durrell, Justine, Faber, published 1968, page 121Synonyms: khamaseen
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA hot, dry wind, common in Egypt, Sudan and the Levant towards the end of March and April, which blows (for about 50 days each year) from the desert, bringing with it hot weather and sand / sandstorms.
Origin
- Egyptian Arabicخَمْسِين“fifty”
- Englishkhamsin
From Egyptian Arabic خَمْسِين (ḵamsīn, “fifty”); see khamaseen for more.
More words from Egyptian Arabic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic خَمْسِين
- خَمْسِين (ḵamsīn)a hot wind in Egypt
Esperanto ĥamsino
- ĥamsinoa hot wind in Egypt
Hebrew חַמְסִין
- חַמְסִין (ẖamsín)a hot wind in Egypt
Hindi ख़मसीन
- ख़मसीन (xamsīn)a hot wind in Egypt
Persian خمسین
- خمسین (xamsin)a hot wind in Egypt
Turkish hamsin
- hamsina hot wind in Egypt
Cite this entry
khamsin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/khamsin
“khamsin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/khamsin. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “khamsin,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/khamsin.
Source: khamsin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.