a sudden strong gust of cold wind blowing offshore from a mountainous coast, as in the Strait of Magellan
2.
a state of great turmoil
Word origin
C19: of unknown origin
williwaw in American English
(ˈwɪlɪˌwɔ) or ˈwillyˌwaw (ˈwɪlɪˌwɔ)
noun
1.
a sudden, violent, cold wind blowing down from mountain passes toward the coast in far northern or southern latitudes, as on the Alaskan coast and Aleutians, and in the Strait of Magellan
2.
a state of extreme confusion, turmoil, or agitation