¹hurricane

noun hur·ri·cane \ˈhər-ə-ˌkān, -i-kən, ˈhə-rə-, ˈhə-ri-\

: an extremely large, powerful, and destructive storm with very strong winds that occurs especially in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean

Full Definition of HURRICANE

: a tropical cyclone with winds of 74 miles (119 kilometers) per hour or greater that occurs especially in the western Atlantic, that is usually accompanied by rain, thunder, and lightning, and that sometimes moves into temperate latitudes — see beaufort scale table

: something resembling a hurricane especially in its turmoil

See hurricane defined for English-language learners

See hurricane defined for kids

Origin of HURRICANE

Spanish huracán, from Taino hurakán

First Known Use: 1555

Related to HURRICANE

Synonyms: ado, alarums and excursions, ballyhoo, blather, bluster, bobbery, bother, bustle, clatter, clutter [chiefly dialect], coil, corroboree [Australian], disturbance, do [chiefly dialect], foofaraw, fun, furor, furore, fuss, helter-skelter, hoo-ha (also hoo-hah), hoopla, hubble-bubble, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly, hurly-burly, commotion, hurry, hurry-scurry (or hurry-skurry), kerfuffle [chiefly British], moil, pandemonium, pother, row, ruckus, ruction, rumpus, shindy, splore [Scottish], squall, stew, stir, storm, to-do, tumult, turmoil, uproar, welter, whirl, williwaw, zoo

Other Climate/Meteorology Terms

monsoon, occlusion, ozone, rime, squall, zephyr

Rhymes with HURRICANE

acid rain, aeroplane, appertain, aquaplane, Aquitaine, ascertain, Bloemfontein, bullet train, cell membrane, cellophane, Charlemagne, Charles's Wain, chatelain, chatelaine, counterpane, daisy-chain, down the drain, entertain, featherbrain, focal plane, foreordain, frangipane, free throw lane, gravy train, gyroplane, high-octane, hydroplane, hyperplane, inclined plane, inhumane, Kwajalein, London plane, marocain, Mary Jane, memory lane, mise-en-scène, monoplane, Novocain, novocaine, paravane, paper-train, peneplain, pollen grain, Port of Spain, power train, preordain, pursuit plane, rattlebrain, rhizoplane, rocket plane, scatterbrain, shaggymane, Spanish Main, sugarcane, suzerain, take in vain, Tamerlane, tangent plane, terreplein, toilet train, tramontane, transmontane, unit train, urethane, wagon train, water main, weather vane, whooping crane, windowpane, yellow rain

²hurricane

adjective

Definition of HURRICANE

: having or being a glass chimney providing protection from wind <a hurricane lamp>

First Known Use of HURRICANE

1894

HURRICANE Defined for Kids

hurricane

noun hur·ri·cane \ˈhər-ə-ˌkān, ˈhər-i-kən\

Definition of HURRICANE for Kids

: a tropical cyclone with winds of 74 miles (119 kilometers) per hour or greater usually accompanied by rain, thunder, and lightning

Word History of HURRICANE

The word hurricane is borrowed by way of Spanish from the language of the Taino Indians who, prior to the Spanish conquest of the New World, lived in great numbers on Hispaniola (modern Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and other islands of the West Indies. Other English words owed to their language are barbecue, hammock, maize, and potato.