What is the Latin word for wind?

The usual Latin words for “wind” are ventus, flō, turbō; also procella, aura, secundus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“wind” in Latin

ventusa wind flōto breathe, blow turbōtornado, whirlwind; spinning top, wheel; spinning motion procellastorm, gale, gust, squall; tempest, hurricane; charge, onset auraair; breeze secundussecond adversusfacing, opposite; towards; against saevusfurious, ferocious, fierce, violent, barbarous, cruel, savage immodicusexcessive, beyond measure; immoderate, unrestrained, extravagant volōto wish, to please; to want; to mean, to intend

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

wind s.

PROP., ventus (general term): a stormy wind, turbo: procella: a gentle wind, aura: ventus lenis: a favorable wind, ventus idoneus, secundus: a contrary wind, ventus molestus, adversus: a strong wind, ventus vehemens, saevus; immodicus, gravis (Col.): the wind rises, etc., ventus cooritur, increbrescit, intermittit, remittit, cessat: omnis vis venti cadit: exposed to the wind, ventis obnoxius: the wind rages, saevit ventus (Caes., B.G., 3, 13, towards the end): this wind is unfavorable to those who are sailing from Athens, hic ventus adversum tenet Athenis proficiscentibus (Nep.): to drive (or be driven, send, etc.) before the wind, se vento dare (dedisse, etc.; Caes., B.G., 3, 13, towards the end): to speak to the wind, dare verba in ventos (Ov.); profundere verba ventis (Lucr.); ventis loqui (Ammianus); surdis auribus canere (Liv.): to be wind-bound, ventis detineri in aliquo loco; venti aliquem tardant: wind instruments, pneumatica organa (Plin., 19, 4, 20): to sail with a side wind, pedem facere or proferre; ventum obliquum captare.

Flatulency, ventus (Cic.); flatus (Suet.): a breaking of wind, crepitus ventris (e.g., crepitum ventris emittere, Cic.).

Empty words, mera mendacia (plur.): it is a mere wind, nihil veri subest.

wind v.

Transitively, volvere: torquere. To wind off, explicare: to wind round, circumvolvere (aliquid alicui rei): to wind into a ball, glomerare: to wind up (as with a windlass), trochlea tollere or elevare; ope trochleae, ergatae aliquid subducere, elevare, tollere: to wind one’s self into a person’s favor or good graces = insinuate, Vid:

Intransitively, torqueri; volvi; curvari; se volvere, torquere, convolvere; sinuari (as a river, plain, etc.; e.g., campus inter Visurgim et colles inaequaliter sinuatur, Tac., Ann., 2, 16): to wind round trees (as creeping plants), se circumvolvere arboribus (Plin.; Vid: also, TURN).

wind v.

= To blow (a horn), cornu inflare. Vid: BLOW.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for wind?: The usual Latin words for “wind” are ventus, flō, turbō; also procella, aura, secundus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.