La Niña (lä n n yä)n. A cooling of the ocean surface off the western coast of South America, occurring periodically every 4 to 12 years and affecting Pacific and other weather patterns. [American Spanish, the girl (to distinguish it from El Niño) : Spanish la, the (from Latin illa, feminine of ille; see al-1 in Indo-European roots) + niña, daughter (from Old Spanish ninna, from Vulgar Latin *n  nna).] |
La Niña [læ ˈniːnjə]
n
(Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) Meteorol a cooling of the eastern tropical Pacific, occurring in certain years
[from Spanish: The Little Girl, to distinguish it from El Niño]
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