French Conversation · Level 3
88 words
French word
cyclone
Pronunciation
IPA/siklon/
Meaning
- masculine nouncyclone
Example
Nous devons évacuer à cause du cyclone.
We must evacuate because of the cyclone.
More examples
Les prévisions de cyclone indiquent une trajectoire vers la côte.
The cyclone forecasts indicate a trajectory toward the coast.
Core concept
A powerful tropical spiral that gathers energy over the ocean and advances as a dangerous weather system.
Common phrases
prévision de cyclone
cyclone forecast
risque de cyclone
cyclone risk
Similar words
ouragan: A tropical low-pressure system that develops at sea and brings fierce winds and heavy rain.
tempête: A weather event marked by strong winds, rain, high waves, and other stormy conditions.
tornade: A brief, narrow vortex of extremely strong wind that can cause extensive damage.
dépression: A low-pressure area that forms a rotating weather system with clouds and rain.
Definition in French
Système météorologique tropical organisé autour d'une zone de basse pression, caractérisé par des vents très forts et de fortes précipitations, se formant généralement au-dessus des océans tropicaux.
Word origin
The word reflects Greek kyklôn, "moving in a circle," and was adopted into nineteenth-century meteorological language through English.
Usage tips
- In French regional usage, cyclone is common for tropical storms in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific, while Atlantic usage often prefers ouragan.
Opposites
- anticycloneanticyclonenoun
Related words
- cycloniquecyclonicadjective