Beaufort scale

Beau·fort scale  (bfrt)

n.

A scale of wind velocity ranging from 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane).

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[After Sir Francis Beaufort (1774-1857), British naval officer.]

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Beaufort scale

Noun

Meteorol a scale for measuring wind speeds, ranging from 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane) [after Sir Francis Beaufort, who devised it]

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Beaufort scale  (bfrt)

A scale for classifying the force of the wind, ranging from 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane). A wind classified as 0 has a velocity of less than 1.6 km (1 mi) per hour; a wind classified as 12 has a velocity of over 119 km (74 mi) per hour. Other categories include light air, five levels of breeze, four levels of gale, and storm. The scale was devised in 1805 as a means of describing the effect of different wind velocities on ships at sea. It is named after an admiral in the British navy, Sir Francis Beaufort (1774-1857).

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	Beaufort scale - an international scale of wind force from 0 (calm air) to 12 (hurricane) wind scale calm air, calm - wind moving at less than 1 knot; 0 on the Beaufort scale light air - wind moving 1-3 knots; 1 on the Beaufort scale light breeze - wind moving 4-7 knots; 2 on the Beaufort scale gentle breeze - wind moving 8-12 knots; 3 on the Beaufort scale moderate breeze - wind moving 13-18 knots; 4 on the Beaufort scale fresh breeze - wind moving 19-24 knots; 5 on the Beaufort scale strong breeze - wind moving 25-31 knots; 6 on the Beaufort scale moderate gale, near gale - wind moving 32-38 knots; 7 on the Beaufort scale fresh gale - wind moving 39-46 knots; 8 on the Beaufort scale strong gale - wind moving 47-54 knots; 9 on the Beaufort scale whole gale - wind moving 55-63 knots; 10 on the Beaufort scale storm, violent storm - a violent weather condition with winds 64-72 knots (11 on the Beaufort scale) and precipitation and thunder and lightning hurricane - a severe tropical cyclone usually with heavy rains and winds moving a 73-136 knots (12 on the Beaufort scale) graduated table, ordered series, scale, scale of measurement - an ordered reference standard; "judging on a scale of 1 to 10"
	2.	Beaufort scale - a scale from 0 to 12 for the force of the wind system of measurement, metric - a system of related measures that facilitates the quantification of some particular characteristic