US /ˈsaɪkloʊn/ UK /ˈsaɪkləʊn/
noun

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    a violent rotating windstorm; a system of winds circling a low-pressure center

    The coastal village was flattened by the passing cyclone.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · a violent rotating... hurricanetyphoontornadowhirlwindtempesttwister
Opposites
anticyclonecalm
Word family
Derived forms cyclonic
Related forms cycloniccycliccycle

Etymology

Coined in 1848 by Henry Piddington from a Greek base, perhaps from kyklon ('moving in a circle, whirling'), present participle of kykloun ('to whirl round'), from kyklos ('circle').

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Topics

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