cyclone
[ sahy-klohn ]
/ ˈsaɪ kloʊn /
noun
a large-scale, atmospheric wind-and-pressure system characterized by low pressure at its center and by circular wind motion, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
Compare anticyclone, extratropical cyclone, tropical cyclone.
(not in technical use) tornado.
Also called cyclone collector, cyclone separator. Machinery.
a device for removing small or powdered solids from air, water, or other gases or liquids by centrifugal force.
Origin of cyclone
term introduced by British meteorologist Henry Piddington (1797–1858) in 1848, perhaps < Greek
kyklôn revolving (present participle of
kykloûn to revolve, verbal derivative of
kýklos; see
cycle); apparently confused by Piddington with
kýklōma wheel, snake's coil
OTHER WORDS FROM cyclone
min·i·cy·clone, noun pre·cy·clone, nounWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH cyclone
cyclone hurricane tidal wave tornado tsunami typhoonWords nearby cyclone
Example sentences from the Web for cyclone
British Dictionary definitions for cyclone (1 of 2)
cyclone
/ (ˈsaɪkləʊn) /
noun
another name for depression (def. 6)
a violent tropical storm; hurricane
Derived forms of cyclone
cyclonic (saɪˈklɒnɪk), cyclonical or cyclonal, adjective cyclonically, adverbWord Origin for cyclone
C19: from Greek
kuklōn a turning around, from
kukloein to revolve, from
kuklos wheel
British Dictionary definitions for cyclone (2 of 2)
Cyclone
/ (ˈsaɪkləʊn) /
adjective
trademark Australian and NZ
(of fencing) made of interlaced wire and metal
Scientific definitions for cyclone
cyclone
[ sī′klōn′ ]
A large-scale system of winds that spiral in toward a region of low atmospheric pressure. A cyclone's rotational direction is opposite to that of an anticyclone. In the Northern hemisphere, a cyclone rotates counterclockwise; in the Southern hemisphere, clockwise. Because low-pressure systems generally produce clouds and precipitation, cyclones are often simply referred to as storms.♦ An extratropical cyclone is one that forms outside the tropics at middle or high latitudes. Extratropical cyclones usually have an organized front and migrate eastward with the prevailing westerly winds of those latitudes.♦ A tropical cyclone forms over warm tropical waters and is generally smaller than an extratropical cyclone. Such a system is characterized by a warm, well-defined core and can range in intensity from a tropical depression to a hurricane. Compare anticyclone.
A small-scale, violently rotating windstorm, such as a tornado or waterspout. Not in scientific use.
A Closer Look
Technically, a cyclone is nothing more than a region of low pressure around which air flows in an inward spiral. In the Northern Hemisphere the air moves counterclockwise around the low-pressure center, and in the Southern Hemisphere the air travels clockwise. Meteorologists also refer to tropical cyclones, which are cyclonic low-pressure systems that develop over warm water. For a tropical cyclone to originate, a large area of ocean must have a surface temperature greater than 27 degrees Celsius (80.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Tropical cyclones are categorized based on the strength of their sustained surface winds. They may begin as a tropical depression, with winds less than 39 miles (63 kilometers) per hour. Tropical storms are identified and tracked once the winds exceed this speed. Severe tropical cyclones, with winds of 74 miles (119 kilometers) per hour or greater, are better known as hurricanes when they occur in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, or as typhoons when they happen in the Pacific Ocean. Because the word cyclone broadly defines a kind of air flow, cyclones are not confined to our planet. In 1999 the Hubble Space Telescope photographed a cyclone more than 1,610 kilometers (1,000 miles) across in the northern polar regions of Mars.
Cultural definitions for cyclone
notes for cyclone
Cyclones can be a few feet across (“dust devils”) or can be major storm systems such as
hurricanes,
tornadoes, and
typhoons.
notes for cyclone
These winds move counterclockwise in the
Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the
Southern Hemisphere. (
See
Coriolis effect.)