The difference between Tornado and Waterspout
When used as nouns, tornado means a characterized by a mobile, twisting, funnel-shaped , whereas waterspout means a whirlwind that forms over water, not associated with a mesocyclone of a thunderstorm (contrary to a true tornado).
check bellow for the other definitions of Tornado and Waterspout
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Tornado as a noun (meteorology):
A characterized by a mobile, twisting, funnel-shaped .
Examples:
"A tornado is a rotating column of air, pendant from a cumulonimbus cloud, and nearly always observable as a funnel cloud or tuba. Its vortex, meters in diameter, rotates counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere, and clockwise in the southern hemisphere, with wind speeds of 160 to more than 480 kilometres per hour."
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Waterspout as a noun:
A whirlwind that forms over water, not associated with a mesocyclone of a thunderstorm (contrary to a true tornado).
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Waterspout as a noun:
A true tornado that passes over a body of water.
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Waterspout as a noun:
A channel through which water is discharged, especially from the gutters of a roof.