— westerliness , n.
/wes"teuhr lee/ , adj., adv., n., pl. westerlies .
adj.
1. moving, directed, or situated toward the west: the westerly end of the field.
2. (esp. of a wind) coming from the west: a westerly gale.
adv.
3. toward the west: to escape westerly.
4. from the west: a sharp wind blowing westerly.
n.
5. a wind that blows from the west: an occasional westerly that pommeled the island.
6. westerlies , ( used with a pl. v. ) any semipermanent belt of westerly winds, esp. those that prevail at latitudes lying between the tropical and polar regions of the earth.
[ 1570-80; WEST + -erly, as in easterly ]