trade winds
**Definition:** The prevailing easterly winds that blow from the subtropical high-pressure belts toward the equator — from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere, from the southeast in the Southern. They are the most consistent winds on Earth and for centuries were the engine of global commerce under sail.
The prevailing easterly winds that blow from the subtropical high-pressure belts toward the equator — from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere, from the southeast in the Southern. They are the most consistent winds on Earth and for centuries were the engine of global commerce under sail.
Etymology
"Trade" here may derive from the Middle Low German trade, meaning "track" or "course" — winds that blow on a steady track. The association with commercial trade came later, reinforced by the winds' importance to merchant shipping.
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