typhoon

American  

[tahy-foon] / taɪˈfun /

noun

1. Meteorology.  a tropical cyclone in the western Pacific Ocean or northern Indian Ocean, having sustained winds of at least 64 knots (74 miles per hour, 33 meters per second): typhoons form in waters with surface temperatures of about 80°F (27°C), intensifying as temperatures rise.

2. Military.  Typhoon,

   1. a single-engine British ground attack aircraft of World War II.

   2. NATO's name for a class of nuclear-powered Soviet ballistic missile submarine carrying 20 multiwarhead missiles.

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typhoon British  

/ taɪˈfɒnɪk, taɪˈfuːn /

noun

1. a violent tropical storm or cyclone, esp in the China seas and W Pacific

2. a violent storm of India

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typhoon Scientific  

/ tī-fo̅o̅n′ /

1. A violent cyclonic storm occurring in the western Pacific Ocean.

2. See Note at cyclone

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typhoon Cultural  

1. In meteorology, a type of cyclone occurring in the western regions of the Pacific Ocean.

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Usage

What’s the difference between a typhoon, a hurricane, and a cyclone? Typhoon, hurricane, and cyclone are all terms for big storms.Although the word cyclone is often used to refer to a big storm, it is, technically speaking, a large-scale, atmospheric wind-and-pressure system characterized by low pressure at its center and by circular wind motion. Because these generally produce clouds and precipitation, cyclones are often simply referred to as storms. When such storms form around the tropics, they are called tropical cyclones. Tropical cyclones are classified based on their strength. They may start as tropical depressions and progress to tropical storms. The most severe tropical cyclones—those with winds of 74 mph (119 k/mh) or more—are called hurricanes or typhoons. Which term is used depends on where the storm occurs.Generally, storms that form over the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico are called hurricanes, while those that form over the Pacific Ocean are called typhoons. (The word hurricane is sometimes used for storms that form over the eastern or central North Pacific Ocean.)Cyclones rotate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.In casual use, the word cyclone is sometimes used to refer to a tornado (but it is not used this way in scientific contexts).Here’s an example of typhoon, hurricane, and cyclone used correctly in a sentence.Example: There have been many devastating cyclones this season, including a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico and multiple typhoons in the Pacific.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between typhoons, hurricanes, and cyclones.

Discover More

A typhoon is similar to a hurricane in levels of destructiveness.

Other Word Forms

• typhonic adjective

Etymology

Origin of typhoon

First recorded in 1580–90; alteration (influenced by Greek tȳphôn “violent wind, whirlwind”) of earlier touffon, tufan, from Arabic ṭūfān “hurricane, deluge” (perhaps from Greek tȳphôn ), from dialectal Chinese (Guangdong) taaî fung, equivalent to Chinese dàfēng “great wind”

Compare meaning

How does typhoon compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• typhoon vs. hurricane
• typhoon vs. tsunami
• typhoon vs. cyclone

Example Sentences

Rage over so-called ghost flood-control projects has been mounting for months in the archipelago country of 116 million, where entire towns have been buried in floodwaters driven by powerful typhoons in recent months.

From Barron's

Vietnam is in one of the most active tropical cyclone regions on Earth and is typically affected by 10 typhoons or storms a year, but Koto is the 15th of 2025.

From Barron's

How do hurricanes or typhoons form and are they getting stronger?

From BBC

BELÉM, Brazil—In the week preceding this year’s United Nations climate negotiations, hurricanes and typhoons battered countries including Jamaica and the Philippines.

From The Wall Street Journal

The floods are the latest extreme weather event to hit Vietnam in recent months, after typhoons Kalmaegi and Bualoi hit the country within weeks of each other.

From BBC

Related Words

• hurricane
• tropical cyclone
• tropical storm