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 Hiaasen

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 of hurricane

Noun

• commotion
• disturbance
• storm
• hurry
• stir
• turmoil
• fuss
• noise
• racket

Examples of hurricane in a Sentence

Noun

economic news that unleashed a hurricane on the trading floor

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Super Typhoon Bavi has winds of 145 mph, which is the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane, as of Friday morning ET, which is very early Saturday morning in Guam. — Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 3 July 2026

In the past, it's been falsely linked with everything from hurricanes to floods, wildfires and alien abductions. — Emma Woollacott, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Adjective

The university will still have the ability to use the park for recreational activities and, like the city, will also be able to use it as a debris site for post-hurricane recovery efforts. — Miami Herald, 1 July 2026

While the hotel was closed post-hurricane, Belmond kept most of them employed in restoration and landscaping work. — Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026

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

Rhymes for hurricane

• aeroplane
• appertain
• ascertain
• capitaine
• cassegrain
• cellophane
• chatelaine
• counterpane
• entertain
• halothane
• hyperplane
• inhumane

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