mesocyclone

[ mez-uh-sahy-klohn, mes-, mee-zuh-, -suh- ]

noun

, Meteorology.

1. a small cyclone that arises near a thunderstorm and is sometimes associated with the occurrence of tornadoes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mesocyclone¹

First recorded in 1970–75; meso- + cyclone

Example Sentences

The mesocyclone is not a tornado, but the parent circulation from which a tornado can develop.

From Washington Post

If not a tornado, then a sudden blast of straight-line wind could have been generated if part of the mesocyclone itself descended to the surface as a microburst-like downdraft.

From Washington Post