Hypercane

//ˈhaɪ.pə(ɹ).kən// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A hypothetical class of an extremely severe hurricane with ocean temperatures reaching approximately 50 °C (122 °F) and formed by significant conditions, such as extensive global warming, having wind speeds exceeding 800 kilometers per hour (500 mph). rare

    "Moreover, as Hecht reported, “The Sun’s ultraviolet radiation would act on stratospheric water droplets to form hydroxyl radicals. Together with chlorine from saltwater thrown up by the hypercane these radicals could destroy vast quantities of stratospheric ozone. UV radiation would then reach the Earth’s surface unhindered, killing organisms on land and in the upper layers of the ocean."

Example

More examples

"Moreover, as Hecht reported, “The Sun’s ultraviolet radiation would act on stratospheric water droplets to form hydroxyl radicals. Together with chlorine from saltwater thrown up by the hypercane these radicals could destroy vast quantities of stratospheric ozone. UV radiation would then reach the Earth’s surface unhindered, killing organisms on land and in the upper layers of the ocean."

Etymology

Blend of hyper- + hurricane.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.