cyclone

/ˈsaɪkləʊn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsaɪkləʊn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsī-ˌklōn/ (ame, mw)

cyclone — noun

  • cyclonesingular
  • cyclonesplural

1. a powerful storm that forms over warm ocean waters in tropical regions, with win

1.名詞B1
釋義

a powerful storm that forms over warm ocean waters in tropical regions, with winds that spin rapidly around a calm center

例句

Cyclone Freddy struck the coast of Mozambique in 2023, destroying thousands of homes.

pattern: Cyclone + proper name for naming storms

The coastal village was evacuated before the cyclone arrived, so no one was hurt.

同義詞
  • hurricane

    the same type of storm but only in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans

  • typhoon

    the same type of storm but only in the northwest Pacific Ocean

  • storm

    more general; not all storms have the circular wind structure of a cyclone

文法句型

the + cyclone + proper name

Cyclone + [name]

用法筆記

In weather reports, a cyclone is often given a human name (e.g. Cyclone Amphan). This naming system is similar to that used for hurricanes.

常見錯誤

❌The cyclone is going to rain heavily.
✅The cyclone is going to bring heavy rain.
💡a cyclone itself does not rain; it brings or causes rain.

2. a broad weather formation in which air moves in a spiral pattern toward a centra

2.名詞B2
釋義

a broad weather formation in which air moves in a spiral pattern toward a central area with reduced pressure, usually generating clouds and rain

例句

A deep cyclone over the Bay of Bengal brought heavy rainfall to eastern India.

collocation: deep cyclone

The satellite images showed a large cyclone spinning slowly across the southern Pacific Ocean.

同義詞
  • low-pressure system

    more general term for any area of low atmospheric pressure

  • depression

    a weaker low-pressure system, often a stage before a storm develops

反義詞
  • anticyclone

    a weather system with high atmospheric pressure at its center

文法句型

a + cyclone + [preposition] + [area]

用法筆記

This is the technical meteorological sense. In this sense, 'cyclone' can refer to both tropical and extratropical systems. The opposite weather system is an 'anticyclone,' which involves high pressure and sinking air.

常見錯誤

❌A cyclone has high pressure in the middle.
✅A cyclone has low pressure in the center, with air flowing inward.
💡a cyclone is defined by low atmospheric pressure at its center, not high pressure.

3. a rapidly spinning column of air that moves across land in a destructive path, o

3.名詞B2
釋義

a rapidly spinning column of air that moves across land in a destructive path, often used to refer to a tornado

例句

The cyclone ripped through the small town, overturning cars and tearing off roofs.

collocation: cyclone + rip through [place]

Farmers in the Midwest often build underground shelters to protect themselves from cyclones.

同義詞
  • tornado

    the standard term for a violent rotating column of air that touches the ground

  • twister

    informal synonym for tornado, common in American English

用法筆記

This sense is more common in American English, especially in the central United States. In other varieties of English, 'tornado' is the preferred term for this phenomenon.

常見錯誤

❌We need to leave before the cyclone floods the town.' (when meaning a tornado)
✅We need to get to the basement before the cyclone hits.
💡a cyclone in this sense is a dry, rotating windstorm over land; flooding is more associated with the tropical storm sense.