noun
A rare, somewhat literary or technical term for a violent windstorm, encompassing tornadoes, hurricanes, and typhoons. In modern Japanese, 竜巻 (tornado), ハリケーン (hurricane), and 台風 (typhoon) are far more common.
古文書には「颶風」という語が暴風の意味で使われている。
In old documents, the word 颶風 is used to mean a violent storm.
The kanji 颶 is rare and specifically means 'storm wind'; combined with 風 (wind), it forms a compound meaning a violent windstorm. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is likely a Sino-Japanese coinage.