hurricane

1 of 2

noun

hur·​ri·​cane ˈhər-ə-ˌkān 

-i-kən,

ˈhə-rə-,

ˈhə-ri-

1

: a tropical cyclone with winds of 74 miles (119 kilometers) per hour or greater that is usually accompanied by rain, thunder, and lightning, and that sometimes moves into temperate latitudes

Note: Hurricane has traditionally been used especially when naming or referring to storms occurring in the western Atlantic; it is used for storms in the northeastern Pacific as well.

The people who bought homes there would never find out the truth, unless a hurricane came and blew off their roofs and knocked down their walls.

—Carl Hiassen

A few days after Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, a small group of strangers on bicycles showed up in the Algiers neighborhood, knocking on doors and asking if anyone needed medical attention.

—Tim Shorrock

The most recent system was Hurricane Erick, which charged towards Hawaii with winds topping 130mph as a category four system.

—Katie Sewell

compare typhoon see Beaufort Scale Table

2

: something resembling a hurricane especially in its turmoil

a rushing hurricane of blows struck him as he stood up

—Donn Byrne

hurricane

2 of 2

adjective

: having or being a glass chimney (see chimney sense 4) providing protection from wind

a hurricane lamp

Synonyms

Noun

• ado
• alarums and excursions
• ballyhoo
• blather
• bluster
• bobbery
• bother
• bustle
• clatter
• clutter [chiefly dialect]
• coil
• commotion
• corroboree [Australian]
• disturbance
• do [chiefly dialect]
• foofaraw
• fun
• furor
• furore
• fuss
• helter-skelter
• hoo-ha
• hoo-hah
• hoopla
• hubble-bubble
• hubbub
• hullabaloo
• hurly
• hurly-burly
• hurry
• hurry-scurry
• 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

Examples of hurricane in a Sentence

Noun

economic news that unleashed a hurricane on the trading floor

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Portable generators less than $3,000 are tax-exempt, as are emergency ladders (not extension ladders) and hurricane shutters under $300. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2024

Rising sea levels will inundate low-lying coastal regions and some small island states, and tropical cyclones and hurricanes will probably intensify. —Kelly Sims Gallagher, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Spanish huracán, from Taino hurakán

First Known Use

Noun

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1894, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

hurricane

noun

hur·​ri·​cane

ˈhər-ə-ˌkān,

-i-kən,

ˈhə-rə-,

ˈhə-ri-

: a cyclone formed in the tropics with winds of 74 miles (119 kilometers) per hour or greater that is usually accompanied by rain, thunder, and lightning