cyclonic

[ sahy-klon-ik ]
See synonyms for cyclonic on Thesaurus.com
adjectiveMeteorology.
  1. of or relating to a cyclone: a cyclonic system developing to our west.

  2. describing a direction of rotation that is counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere, and undefined at the equator: In the Weddell Sea, the main circulation is cyclonic.

Origin of cyclonic

1
First recorded in 1855–60; cyclon(e) + -ic
  • Also cy·clon·i·cal [sahy-klon-i-kuhl] /saɪˈklɒn ɪ kəl/ .

Other words from cyclonic

  • cy·clon·i·cal·ly, adverb
  • pre·cy·clon·ic, adjective

Words Nearby cyclonic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use cyclonic in a sentence

  • Here was a man who stood four square to the winds, undisturbed by the cyclonic outbursts of unfriendly newspapers.

    A Hoosier Chronicle | Meredith Nicholson
  • This may give a rough idea of the apparatus employed to measure the momentary velocity of the cyclonic gusts.

    The Home of the Blizzard | Douglas Mawson
  • There was a sudden crashing arc and a blaze of blue flame that swept in a cyclonic twisting motion inside the crucible.

    Islands of Space | John W Campbell
  • Jim saw the black smoke masses whirl through the jagged hole in the Dome's wall as the air burst out in a cyclonic gust.

    The Great Dome on Mercury | Arthur Leo Zagat