hurricane

The word “hurricane” means a powerful rotating tropical storm with sustained winds of at least 74 miles per hour, typically forming over the Atlantic or eastern Pacific. In plain terms, a violent tropical storm — or, more loosely, any overwhelming burst of force or activity.

“Hurricane” is pronounced HUH-rih-kuhn (/ˈhʌɹɪkeɪn/ in IPA).

Here is “hurricane” used in a sentence: “The coastal town was evacuated ahead of the hurricane.”

“Hurricane” is a noun.

The word “hurricane” comes from Spanish. Borrowed from Spanish huracán, which came from a Taíno word for a powerful storm god.

“Hurricane” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Hurricane” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a powerful rotating tropical storm with sustained winds of at least 74 miles per hour, typically forming over the Atlantic or eastern Pacific.

These are the same type of powerful rotating tropical storm, just named differently by region. It is called a hurricane over the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, a typhoon in the western Pacific, and a cyclone in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific.

The distinction is wind speed. A storm is classified as a hurricane once its sustained winds reach at least 74 miles per hour; below that threshold it is a tropical storm.

Yes. Beyond the weather event, hurricane can describe any sudden, overwhelming rush of activity, emotion, or force, as in a hurricane of criticism or a hurricane of applause. This figurative use emphasises intensity and speed.