cyclone
/ˈsaɪ.kloʊn/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.51 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any weather phenomenon consisting of a system of winds rotating around a centre of low atmospheric pressure; a low pressure system.
noun
A tropical cyclone occurring in the South Pacific or Indian Ocean.
noun
The more or less violent, small-scale circulations such as tornadoes, waterspouts, and dust devils.
Informal
noun
A cyclone separator; the cylindrical vortex tube within such a separator
verb
To separate using a cyclone separator.
verb
To storm as a cyclone.
verb
To whirl in spirals as a result of a cyclone or whirlwind-like force.
Example Sentences
- "Near-synonym: storm"
- "Near-synonyms: typhoon, hurricane"
- "The product is cycloned and overflow at 45-50% solids is pumped to primary flotation where 50-70% of the copper is removed as a 21% concentrate."
- "The Syncrude Tar Sand Mine in Alberta, Canada uses a similar hydraulic cell construction technique to raise tailings embankments, although tailings are not cycloned."
- "Some catsup manufacturers demand a hot break before the tomatoes are cycloned in order to retain the largest possible amount of pectin from the tomatoes."
- "What difference if it rained, hailed, blew, snowed, cycloned?"
Etymology
Coined by English scientist and merchant captain 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 (kúklos, “circle, wheel”) or κυκλόω (kuklóō, “go around in a circle, form a circle, encircle”), for example the present active participle κυκλῶν (kuklôn). See cycle and wheel.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈsaɪ.kloʊn/
- British English: /ˈsaɪ.kləʊn/