roaring forties


plural noun

either of two areas in the ocean between 40° and 50° N or S latitude, noted for high winds and rough seas.

Origin of roaring forties

First recorded in 1875–80

Words nearby roaring forties

British Dictionary definitions for roaring forties

Roaring Forties

pl n

the Roaring Forties nautical the areas of ocean between 40° and 50° latitude in the S Hemisphere, noted for gale-force winds