a purified and potent form of cocaine that is smoked rather than snorted; highly addictive
"He turned to crystal meth after his friend introduced him to the dangerous allure of tornado, a purified and potent form of cocaine known for its intense addiction."
A violent windstorm characterized by a mobile, twisting, funnel-shaped cloud.
"The severe thunderstorms spawned a terrifying tornado that descended as a spinning, funnel-shaped cloud before striking the town."
In plain English: A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that touches both the ground and a cloud during a severe storm.
"The tornado touched down in the middle of town, destroying several buildings before moving on."
Usage: Do not confuse this weather phenomenon with the verb form meaning to whirl around violently; use the noun specifically when referring to the storm itself. In casual conversation, people often shorten "tornado" to "twister," though the full term remains standard in formal writing and news reports.
The word tornado entered English around 1550 as a nautical term for a windy thunderstorm. Although it comes from the Spanish tronada meaning "thunderstorm," its spelling was altered in English because of influence from the similar-sounding Spanish verb tornar, which means to twist or turn.