Santa Ana n 1: a strong hot dry wind that blows in winter from the deserts of southern California toward the Pacific Coast 2: Mexican general who tried to crush the Texas revolt and who lost battles to Winfield Scott and Zachary Taylor in the Mexican War (1795-1876) [syn: {Santa Anna}, {Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna}, {Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana}] 3: a city in southern California east of Long Beach 4: a city in western El Salvador