See Also: bretessy(dictionary)

hurricane (iou) and bretessy (iou)


hurricane (iou)



hurricane noun & verb. Also (earlier) furacan, furicano, hurricano, (pl. -o(e)s), & Other vars. M16.

A. noun.
A tropical cyclone, esp. a W. Indian one; any violent and destructive storm; Meteorology a wind of hurricane force. M16.
b. A space from which trees etc. have been cleared by a hurricane. M18.
(As hurricano.) A waterspout. Only in E17.
A violent rush or commotion; a storm of words, noises, etc. M17.
A large crowded assembly of fashionable people at a private house. M18-E19.
Comb.: hurricane-bird a frigate-bird; hurricane-deck a light upper deck on a ship etc.; hurricane force force 12 on the Beaufort scale, corresponding to a wind speed of 64 knots (about 74 m.p.h.); hurricane-house a shelter at the masthead or on deck; hurricane-lamp, hurricane-lantern a lamp designed to resist a high wind; hurricane wind a wind associated with a tropical cyclone; a wind of hurricane force.
b. verb intrans. & trans. Whirl like a hurricane. L17.
G. Boycott A great swirl of dust.., most of which seemed to hurricane into the Press box.

bretessy (iou)



bretessy adjective. L16.
[French bretesse bratticed: see -Y5.]
Heraldry. Embattled on both sides with the battlements at the same points on each edge. Cf. COUNTER-EMBATTLED.
Also bretessed adjective E19.