samoom

Noun

simoom (plural simooms)

1. A hot, dry, suffocating, dust-laden wind of the desert, particularly of Arabia, Syria, and neighboring countries, generated by the extreme heat of the parched deserts or sandy plains.
   • Indeed, every appearance warranted me in apprehending a Simoon [sic]. I told the captain my fears; but he paid no attention to what I said, and left me without deigning to give a reply.1833, Edgar Allan Poe, MS. Found in a Bottle