cyclone

Meanings

Plural: cyclones

Noun

(meteorology) rapid inward circulation of air masses about a low pressure center; circling counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern
a violent rotating windstorm
Any weather phenomenon consisting of a system of winds rotating around a centre of low atmospheric pressure; a low pressure system.
A tropical cyclone occurring in the South Pacific or Indian Ocean.
The more or less violent, small-scale circulations such as tornadoes, waterspouts, and dust devils.
A strong wind.
A cyclone separator; the cylindrical vortex tube within such a separator

Verb

To separate using a cyclone separator.
To storm as a cyclone.
To whirl in spirals as a result of a cyclone or whirlwind-like force.
To storm wildly; to be in a frenzy.

Origin / Etymology

Coined by Henry Piddington, probably in the 1840s, and based on some term in Ancient Greek. Sources disagree on the date and on which Ancient Greek term, though it had to be something derived from either κύκλος (kúklos, “circle, wheel”) or κυκλόω (kuklóō, “go around in a circle, form a circle, encircle”), for example the present active participle κυκλῶν (kuklôn). See cycle and wheel.

Antonyms

anticyclone

Scrabble Score: 14

cyclone is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
cyclone is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
cyclone is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 17

cyclone is a valid Words With Friends word