| \MIS-truhl, mi-STRAHL\ | noun
1. a cold, dry, northerly wind common in southern France and neighboring regions. | | Quotes | The mistral determines much of the region's architecture, from the windowless north-facing walls of the mas (the typical Provencal farmhouses) to the cagelike bell towers that allow the wind to pass harmlessly through.
-- Alexandra Bonfante-Warren, Timeless Places: Provence, 1999 | | Origin | | Mistral is derived from the French word of the same spelling which referred to wind from the north-west. | |
