roaring forties

English

Noun

roaring forties pl (plural only)

  1. (geography, meteorology) The area of the earth between 40 and 50 degrees south, prone to gale-force westerly winds.
    • 1998, Derek Lundy, chapter 1, in Godforsaken Sea: Racing the World's Most Dangerous Waters‎, page 5:
      Its official demarcation is forty degrees south latitude. It includes the latitudes sailors long-ago nicknamed the roaring forties, the furious fifties, and the screaming sixties. It's an area of almost constant high wind and frequent gales, often exceeding hurricane strength.

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