mesocyclone
noun
me·so·cy·clone
ˌme-zə-ˈsī-ˌklōn 
ˌmē-,
-sə-ˈsī-
: a rapidly rotating air mass within a thunderstorm that often gives rise to a tornado
Examples of mesocyclone in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When the air is pushed upward, that rotation becomes vertical, creating what’s known as a mesocyclone.
—
Perry Samson,
The Conversation,
23 Mar. 2026
Other field campaigns followed, but scientists still haven’t definitively answered why some supercell thunderstorms create tornadoes while others don’t progress beyond a mesocyclone.
—
Carolyn Wilke,
Smithsonian Magazine,
1 Nov. 2023
Why there weren’t tornadoes What this squall line did not contain was small pockets of rotation called mesocyclones, which breed tornadoes.
—
Dan Stillman,
Washington Post,
30 July 2023
Vertical wind shear can enable the midlevels of the storm to rotate, and upward suction from this mesocyclone can intensify the rotation within the storm's outflow into a tornado.
—
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2023
See All Example Sentences for mesocyclone
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Perry Samson,
The Conversation,
23 Mar. 2026
Other field campaigns followed, but scientists still haven’t definitively answered why some supercell thunderstorms create tornadoes while others don’t progress beyond a mesocyclone.
—
Carolyn Wilke,
Smithsonian Magazine,
1 Nov. 2023
Why there weren’t tornadoes What this squall line did not contain was small pockets of rotation called mesocyclones, which breed tornadoes.
—
Dan Stillman,
Washington Post,
30 July 2023
Vertical wind shear can enable the midlevels of the storm to rotate, and upward suction from this mesocyclone can intensify the rotation within the storm's outflow into a tornado.
—
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2023
See All Example Sentences for mesocyclone
Cite this Entry
“Mesocyclone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mesocyclone. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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