cyclone

Etymology

Coined by Henry Piddington, probably in the 1840s, and based on some term in Ancient Greek. Sources disagree on the date and on which Ancient Greek term, though it had to be something derived from either κύκλος (kúklos, “circle, wheel”) or κυκλόω (kuklóō, “go around in a circle, form a circle, encircle”), for example the present active participle κυκλῶν (kuklôn). See cycle and wheel.

noun

1. (broad sense) A weather phenomenon consisting of a system of winds rotating around a centre of low atmospheric pressure.
2. (narrow sense) Such a weather phenomenon occurring in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean
3. A low pressure system.
4. (informal) The more or less violent, small-scale circulations such as tornadoes, waterspouts, and dust devils.
5. A strong wind.
6. A cyclone separator; the cylindrical vortex tube within such a separator

verb

1. To separate using a cyclone separator.
   The product is cycloned and overflow at 45-50% solids is pumped to primary flotation where 50-70% of the copper is removed as a 21% concentrate. 1977, Western Miner and Oil Review - Volume 50, page 35
   The Syncrude Tar Sand Mine in Alberta, Canada uses a similar hydraulic cell construction technique to raise tailings embankments, although tailings are not cycloned. 1988, Dirk J. A. Van Zyl, Steven G. Vick, Hydraulic Fill Structures, page 59
   Some catsup manufacturers demand a hot break before the tomatoes are cycloned in order to retain the largest possible amount of pectin from the tomatoes. 2013, WA Gould, Tomato Production, Processing and Technology, page 238
2. To storm as a cyclone.
   What difference if it rained, hailed, blew, snowed, cycloned? 1907, O. Henry, “The Purple Dress”, in The Trimmed Lamp
3. To whirl in spirals as a result of a cyclone or whirlwind-like force.
   White dust was cycloning at the bottom of ravines that cut for miles into the red flatness 1997, D. J. H. Jones, Murder in the New Age
   Pine needles cycloned wildly as Jan swung her car into the Institute's parking lot. 2018, Wayne Kyle Spitzer, Death Scene, page 2
   The unicorn stamped and gave him a scornful look as Sally cycloned away from them, but Wulfric laughed to himself a crafty laugh. 2020, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, Songs From the Seashell Archives
   He raised his arms in supplication even as the cloak's hood blew back and his hair cycloned—like he was standing in a vortex. 2021, Wayne Kyle Spitzer, The Lost Country, page 17
4. To storm wildly; to be in a frenzy.
   When Whyte got an eyeful of our groundsman's Barkjano ass bouncing to a rapid beat, he exploded, not so much in words as in gestures and a rapid departure that contained far greater energy than a trifling “storm”—he cycloned-whirlwinded-squalled and thundergaled out of the house and the whole barbecue. early 21st century, Wilyem Clark, The Imbeciliad, page 79
   The winds of change cycloned around Rhodesia and the debris began to fall within its borders. 2013, Dan Tharp·, Africa Lost: Rhodesia's COIN Killing Machine
   Now, all of a sudden, I had to juggle class schedules with study time and assignment deadlines and work hours. It quickly cycloned into a sort of frantic agitation with all-nighters, near misses, and frenzied nerves. 2015, Robert J. Morgan, Mastering Life Before It's Too Late