Cyclone

noun

/ˈsaɪkləʊn/

A large-scale atmospheric system of winds rotating around a centre of low pressure — anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

As coastal cyclones grow more frequent and ferocious under a warming climate, India's disaster-management apparatus must pivot from reactive relief to anticipatory resilience, embedding early-warning systems and cyclone-resistant infrastructure into the developmental fabric of its eastern seaboard.

Synonyms

hurricanetyphoontempestwhirlwindstormtornado

Antonyms

anticyclonecalmlull

🌱 Word Family

cyclonic (adj), cyclonically (adv), anticyclone (n), anticyclonic (adj), cyclogenesis (n)

🔡 Root

Coined 1848 by H. Piddington from Greek kyklos = circle, wheel; cf. kyklōma = coil

📜 Etymology

Coined by British meteorologist Henry Piddington in the 1840s, derived from Greek kyklos ("circle") or kyklōma ("wheel, coil of a snake"); first published use dates to 1848.

🧠 Memory Hook

CYCLE + -one: a cyclone makes winds CYCLE in a giant circle, just as its Greek root kyklos means 'circle'.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Prelims 2025 — Indian Geography
Prelims 2018 — Disaster Management
Mains 2022 · GS1 · 10 marks — Geography
Mains 2013 · GS1 · 5 marks — Geography

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Cyclone” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

🌍 Geography 📖 Seen in: Climate of India and Monsoon Mechanism

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