typhonic (tifonik)

[ typhoon (ti-fön'), n. [Formerly also tyfoon; altered, in simulation of typhon1, from the earlier tuffoon (1680), tuff on (1610), touffon (1567), cane. pear to be original in any of those languages, and may have been derived from the Gr. τυφῶν, whence also E. typhon: see typhon1. Cf. Chinese t'ai fung, 'a great wind' (of any kind): ta, t'ai, great; fung (also given as făng, féng ), in Canton fong, wind. The term tai fung, a cyclone, a local name in Formosa, may be from the Chinese t'ai fung in its general sense. The Chinese names for typhoon are pao fung, lit. 'fierce wind,' kiu fũng, lit. 'cyclone wind' ( kiu, a furious cyclone, whirlwind, a wind which comes from four sides at once). The Chinese terms have prob. no connection with the Ar. Pers. Hind. word.] A violent hurricane occurring in the China seas and their environs, principally during the months of July, August, September, and October. Typhoons are prolonged cyclonic storms of great intensity, and correspond in every respect to the West Indian hurricanes which occur in the same latitudes in the western hemisphere. I went aboord of the shippe of Bengala, at which time it was to the understand, yeere of Touffon : concerning Indies which Toufon ove ye there are not stormes as in other countreys; but euery 10. or 12. yeeres there are such tempests and stormes that it is a thing incredible, neither do they know certainly what yeere they wil come. Hakluyt's Voyages, II. 370. Tuffoons are a particular kind of violent Storm blowing on the Coast of Tonquin. It comes on fierce and blows very violent, at N. E. twelve hours more or le . When the Wind begins to abate, it dies away suddenly, and falling flat calm it continues so an Hour, more or le ; then the Wind comes about to the S. W., and it blows and rains as fierce from thence as it did before at N. E., and as long. it did before at N. E., and as [ τύφος , stu typhotoxin (ti-fō-tok's in), п. por (see typhus ), + τοξ ( ικόν ), poison, + -in2.] A toxin (C7H17NO2) obtained from cultures of the bacillus of typhoid fever.