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typhoon
/taɪˈfuːn/
tropical cyclone
The typhoon caused widespread flooding in coastal areas.
A strong tropical storm hit the coast, leading to heavy rain and flooding.
technical
A tropical cyclone occurring in the region of the Indian or western Pacific oceans.
Typhoon Hagibis made landfall in Japan in 2019.
A specific typhoon caused significant damage in Japan.
Meteorologists track typhoons using satellite imagery.
Weather experts monitor these storms with technology.
In the North Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, the same weather phenomenon is called a 'hurricane.' In the Indian Ocean, it is called a 'cyclone.'
Collocations
typhoon warningofficial alert about an approaching typhoontyphoon seasonperiod of the year when typhoons are most likely to occurtyphoon damageharm or destruction caused by a typhoon
Synonyms
Pro Tip
Remembering the difference between typhoon, hurricane, and cyclone
Use the location to distinguish: typhoon (western Pacific), hurricane (Atlantic/Northeast Pacific), cyclone (Indian Ocean/Australia).
Gold Rule
Typhoon vs. storm
A typhoon is a specific type of intense tropical cyclone with sustained winds of at least 74 mph (119 km/h). Not all storms are typhoons.
Word Origin
From Chinese 颱風 (taifēng), from 台 (tái, 'great') + 風 (fēng, 'wind'), via Portuguese tufão or Spanish tifón.
Usage Notes
Typhoon is commonly used in East and Southeast Asia. In English, it specifically refers to cyclones in the western Pacific Ocean.
English Dictionary