# typhoon

/ˌtaɪˈfun/ (US) · /taɪfˈuːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/typhoon
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 2. military aircraft

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a type of fast, powerful fighter plane used by air forces.

For teachers: a multi-role combat aircraft, specifically the Eurofighter Typhoon or the historical Hawker Typhoon.

- The air force sent two Typhoons to patrol the coast.
- The Eurofighter Typhoon remains a cornerstone of European aerial defense due to its high agility and advanced avionics systems.

### 3. to swirl violently

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary

to move or spin very quickly and violently like a storm.

For teachers: to swirl, rotate, or move with the intensity and pattern of a tropical cyclone.

- The autumn leaves typhooned around the empty playground.
- Dust and debris typhooned through the narrow alleyways as the sudden gust of wind trapped the heat between the brick buildings.

Usage: This verb is intransitive and is primarily used in descriptive or poetic writing.

## Examples

- The city closed all schools because of the approaching typhoon.
- Residents boarded up their windows and moved to higher ground as the typhoon made landfall on the coast.
- Meteorologists tracked the typhoon's trajectory across the South China Sea, warning that its sustained wind speeds could cause catastrophic damage to coastal infrastructure.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.