typhoon

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noun ty·phoon \ tī-ˈfün \

Definition of typhoon

1 :a hurricane occurring especially in the region of the Philippines or the China sea

2 :whirlwind 2a

a typhoon of activity

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Recent Examples of typhoon from the Web

Politics might not be your first thought – but here in Washington, D.C., which is already chest-high in an ongoing political typhoon over the Trump Administration –

— ajc homepage, ajc, "Getting ready for Harvey – and the politics of hurricanes and disaster relief," 25 Aug. 2017
HONG KONG - The most powerful typhoon to hit the southern Chinese region in more than half a century left at least 16 dead as a sudden deluge swamped the gambling hub of Macau, submerging streets and stranding residents.

— USA TODAY, "At least 16 dead as Typhoon Hato floods Macau, southern China," 24 Aug. 2017
A powerful typhoon caused at least three deaths Wednesday in Macau, according to local authorities in the Chinese gambling enclave.

— kelvin chan, The Seattle Times, "Powerful typhoon kills at least 3 in Macau," 23 Aug. 2017
The white Spanish colonial palace on the banks of the Pasig River has survived earthquakes, typhoons, fires, riots, and the thoroughly devastating U.S. bombing of the capital during World War II.

— jonathan m. katz, The Atlantic, "The Legacy of a Century-Old War Is Reshaping Power in the Pacific," 10 Aug. 2017
The pressure wave created a draft up to 70m/sec – twice that of a typhoon – which instantly destroyed homes 2km in radius from the hypo- center.

— TIME.com, "Survivors of the Atomic Blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki share their stories," 6 Aug. 2017
HONG KONG — Taiwan was battered Monday by the second large storm in days, in the wake of a typhoon that flooded streets, injured scores of people and forced more than 10,000 to flee their homes.

— russell goldman, New York Times, "On Heels of Typhoon Nesat, a Second Storm Hits Taiwan," 31 July 2017
But without Best, the character’s loose-limbed, goof-typhoon persona would likely never have translated to screen.

— brian raftery, WIRED, "How the Guy Who Played Jar Jar Binks Survived the Fandom Menace," 15 July 2017
By this point, the crowd had swelled to capacity, at least three times what Lee Fields and the Expressions could've expected on a Wednesday night during a typhoon.

— milwaukee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Best and worst of Summerfest Day 1: Flume, Lee Fields and the Expressions outplay the rain," 29 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'typhoon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of typhoon

alteration (influenced by Chin — Guangdong — daaih-fùng, from daaih big + fùng wind) of earlier touffon, from Arabic ṭūfān hurricane, from Greek typhōn violent storm

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1771

See Words from the same year

Other Climate/Meteorology Terms

monsoon, occlusion, ozone, rime, squall, zephyr

TYPHOON Defined for English Language Learners

typhoon

play

noun

Definition of typhoon for English Language Learners

: an extremely large, powerful, and destructive storm that occurs especially in the region of the Philippines or the China Sea

TYPHOON Defined for Kids

typhoon

play

noun ty·phoon \ tī-ˈfün \

Definition of typhoon for Students

:a tropical cyclone in the region of the Philippines or the China Sea

Learn More about typhoon

See words that rhyme with typhoon Spanish Central: Translation of typhoon Nglish: Translation of typhoon for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of typhoon for Arabic speakers

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Definition of typhoon for English Language Learners

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