hurricane

hurricane — noun

1. a large, powerful storm that develops over warm tropical oceans, with extremely

1.nounB1
Definition

a large, powerful storm that develops over warm tropical oceans, with extremely strong winds that spin in a circle and can cause great damage when it reaches land.

Example

The hurricane destroyed hundreds of homes along the coast of Florida.

collocation: hurricane + destroy

Meteorologists warned residents that the hurricane would reach the island by Thursday.

Common collocations
  • hurricane-force winds
  • hurricane season
  • major hurricane
  • devastating hurricane
  • hurricane strikes
  • hurricane hits
  • hurricane warning
  • hurricane watch
  • category 3 hurricane
  • to ride out a hurricane
Synonyms
  • typhoon

    the same type of storm in the Northwest Pacific Ocean

  • cyclone

    the same type of storm in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific

  • tropical storm

    a weaker system with lower wind speeds that can develop into a hurricane

Usage Note

In the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, these storms are called 'hurricanes'; in the Northwest Pacific they are called 'typhoons', and in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific they are called 'cyclones'.

Common Mistakes

The typhoon destroyed the Florida coast.
The hurricane destroyed the Florida coast.
Typhoons occur in the Northwest Pacific; hurricanes occur in the Atlantic.
A hurricane watch means the storm is definitely coming.
A hurricane watch means conditions are possible; a hurricane warning means they are expected within 24 hours.
'Watch' and 'warning' have different official meanings.

hurricane — adjective

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Hurricane, typhoon, and cyclone all refer to the same type of storm — a tropical cyclone with rotating winds of at least 119 km/h — but the name changes depending on where the storm occurs. Atlantic and Northeast Pacific storms are hurricanes; Northwest Pacific storms are typhoons; and storms in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific are cyclones. A tornado, by contrast, is a much smaller but more violent rotating column of air that touches the ground, typically lasting only minutes rather than days. While a hurricane may stretch hundreds of kilometres across, a tornado is usually only a few hundred metres wide. For example: 'The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November,' but 'The tornado ripped through the town in under a minute.'

hurricane ↗typhoon ↗cyclone ↗tornado ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • hurricane-force winds
  • hurricane season
  • hurricane damage
  • hurricane center

Prepositions

  • in a hurricane
  • during a hurricane
  • before a hurricane
  • after a hurricane

Etymology

Taíno (Arawakan)SpanishEnglish

The word 'hurricane' entered English in the 16th century from Spanish 'huracán', which was itself borrowed from Taíno — the language of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. In Taíno, 'hurakán' was the name of a storm god, reflecting how these powerful tropical storms were central to life in the region.