Typhoon

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /taɪˈfuːn/
• GenAm enPR: tÄ«foÍžonʹ, IPA: /taɪˈfun/
• Rhymes: -uːn

Origin

Probably ultimately of origin, Mandarin 大风 (dàfēng, "big wind"), Cantonese

6

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1

|lang=yue||big wind}, via Arabic طوفان, Hindi तूफ़ान (tūfān), and Persian توفان (tufân). Given the location of typhoons as a Pacific Ocean phenomenon, it is more likely it began east and moved west. Ancient Greek Τυφῶν (Tuphōn, "Typhon, father of the winds") is unrelated but has secondarily contaminated the word.

Full definition of typhoon

Noun

1. A weather phenomenon in the Eastern Pacific that is precisely equivalent to a hurricane, which results in wind speeds of 64 knots (118km/h) or above. Equivalent to a cyclone in the Indian Ocean and Indonesia/Australia.

Derived terms

• typhoon fifth

Related terms

• tycoon