"Nor'easter" -- missing definition? and an antedating

[Jesse Sheidlower]

On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 09:33:04AM -0500, Joel S. Berson wrote:
> 1)  What is a "Northeaster"?  The OED, as of last month, claims that
> it is merely "A wind blowing from the north-east" (or, very rarely,
> "A waterproof hat or cap").  I say a nor'easter is also, these days,
> a *storm* whose winds come from the northeast (and, as Ben Franklin
> deduced, which arrives from the southwest).  As in "the nor'easter
> dumped 6 inches of snow on Boston yesterday".
>
> What say all ye other Northeasterners?

You're clearly right, even the evidence in OED itself shows
this. The entry'll be updated.

Thanks also for the antedating.

Jesse Sheidlower
OED

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