Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "microburst" [microburst]

  • A sudden, violent downdraft of air over a small area. Microbursts are difficult to detect and predict with standard weather instruments and are especially hazardous to airplanes during landing or takeoff. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "microburst" in a sentence
  • "One of the storms produced what they call a microburst, with 80-mile-an-hour winds."
  • "No matter how carefully you choose your tree, none can survive a tornado or wind-driven "microburst" -- so make sure to plant where it can never fall on your house or your neighbors '."
  • "Curry called it a miracle that everyone on board made it into rafts and survived after the three-masted Concordia apparently experienced a weather phenomenon known as a "microburst" - a sudden, violent downdraft of wind - that instantly crippled the vessel Wednesday."