cyclone

Meaning

Noun

• (broad sense) A weather phenomenon consisting of a system of winds rotating around a center of low atmospheric pressure
• (narrow sense) Such weather phenomenon occurring in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean
• A low pressure system.
• The more or less violent, small-scale circulations such as tornadoes, waterspouts, and dust devils.
• A strong wind.
• A cyclone separator; the cylindrical vortex tube within such a separator

Origin

• Coined by Henry Piddington, probably in the 1840s, and based on some term in Ancient Greek. Sources disagree on the date and on which Ancient Greek term, though it had to be something derived from either κύκλος or κυκλόω, for example the present active participle κυκλῶν. See cycle and wheel.