typhoon

[ tahy-foon ]
/ taɪˈfun /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR typhoon ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.Compare hurricane (def. 1).
(initial capital letter)Military.
  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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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”

OTHER WORDS FROM typhoon

ty·phon·ic [tahy-fon-ik], /taɪˈfɒn ɪk/, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH typhoon

cyclone, hurricane, tidal wave, tornado, tsunami, typhoon .

Words nearby typhoon

typhoid fever, typhoidin, Typhoid Mary, typhoid vaccine, typhon, typhoon, typhus, typhus vaccine, typical, typicon, typify
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Content related to typhoon

Cyclone vs. Typhoon vs. Hurricane: Are They All The Same?It's no wonder people mix up the names of these storms—they are all monstrous. So let's find out what makes cyclones, typhoons, and hurricanes unique.
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Words related to typhoon

cyclone, tornado, twister, hurricane, storm

Example sentences from the Web for typhoon

British Dictionary definitions for typhoon

typhoon
/ (taɪˈfuːn) /

noun

a violent tropical storm or cyclone, esp in the China seas and W Pacific
a violent storm of India

Derived forms of typhoon

typhonic (taɪˈfɒnɪk), adjective

Word Origin for typhoon

C16: from Chinese tai fung great wind, from tai great + fung wind; influenced by Greek tuphōn whirlwind
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for typhoon

typhoon
[ tī-fōōn′ ]

A violent cyclonic storm occurring in the western Pacific Ocean. See Note at cyclone.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for typhoon

typhoon

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

notes for typhoon

A typhoon is similar to a hurricane in levels of destructiveness.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.