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rafale

gust

noun rah-FAL Rare
Animals & Nature Weather

Also means

burst (of gunfire)

Usage Note

Rafale is feminine and primarily means a sudden strong gust of wind; it is also the standard word for a burst of automatic gunfire or a rapid sequence of events. Rafale is the name of the French fighter jet built by Dassault, which learners often encounter in news contexts. The plural rafales de vent (gusts of wind) is very common in weather reports.

Examples

"Une rafale de vent a renversé les chaises."

Natural Translation

A gust of wind knocked over the chairs.

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