tropical cyclone

American  

[trop-i-kuhl sahy-klohn] / ˈtrɒp ɪ kəl ˈsaɪ kloʊn /

noun

Meteorology.

1. a warm-core cyclone that originates over a tropical ocean area, generally beginning as a tropical depression and having the potential to intensify and develop into a hurricane or typhoon, classifications that depend on where the storm is occurring.

---

tropical cyclone Scientific  

/ trŏp′ĭ-kəl /

1. See under cyclone

---

Etymology

Origin of tropical cyclone

First recorded in 1915–20

Compare meaning

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

• tropical cyclone vs. hurricane
• tropical cyclone vs. tropical storm

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tropical cyclone

However, the institute said that the weather pattern could influence tropical cyclone activity in the central and east Pacific and could change the risk of floods, wildfires and other extreme weather elsewhere.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

She and her colleagues have argued that a geostationary satellite equipped with the right infrared imaging technology could potentially monitor gravity waves continuously and provide new insights into tropical cyclone development.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 2026

When asked about another scene from the attack, Grok incorrectly claimed it was footage from tropical "cyclone Alfred," which generated heavy weather across the Australian coast earlier this year.

From Barron's ● Dec. 16, 2025

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 ● Nov. 30, 2025

My mind spun like the vortex of a tropical cyclone.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd