typhoon

Sayty-FOON/taɪˈfun/UK/taɪˈfuːn/

2 meanings of typhoon

1
nouncountable
A very strong tropical storm with violent spinning winds, especially in the western Pacific and around East Asia.
Typhoons often hit the Philippines in late summer and fall.
The storm became a typhoon when its winds reached 119 km/h.
Note

Less common meaning

2
verbrare
To spin and rush around like a huge storm.

Use it in a sentence

Write your own sentence with typhoon, and AI will tell you whether it fits and which meaning you used.

Origin

Probably from an Arabic word for a big storm, brought to Europe by Portuguese sailors; its spelling was later shaped by a Greek word for “whirlwind.”

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 5 facts

Typhoon probably derives from Arabic ṭūfān. en.wiktionary.org
The Arabic source word denotes a big storm. en.wiktionary.org
Portuguese sailors brought the word to Europe. en.wiktionary.org
Greek later influenced the English spelling. en.wiktionary.org
The Greek word means whirlwind. en.wiktionary.org