supercell

English

Etymology

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *úp
Proto-Indo-European *-er
Proto-Indo-European *upér
Proto-Italic *super
Latin super
Latin super-lbor.
English super-
Proto-Indo-European *ḱel-der.
Latin cellabor.
Old English cell
▲
Latin cella
Old French celebor.
Middle English celle
English cell
English supercell

    From super- + cell.

    Pronunciation

    • Audio (US):(file)

    Noun

    supercell (plural supercells)

    1. (meteorology) A severe thunderstorm with updrafts and downdrafts that are in near balance, allowing the storm to maintain itself for several hours. Supercells often produce large hail, powerful downpours, very strong winds and sometimes tornadoes.
      • 1999 May 11, William K. Stevens, “Oklahoma Tornado Offers Hints Of How a Killer Storm Is Born”, in The New York Times‎[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 31 December 2023:
        They watched the supercell that spawned the F5 killer that struck Oklahoma City spit out one tornado after another. In two cases, the researchers believe, the Dopplers captured tornadoes being formed — including the Oklahoma City monster.
      • 2023 March 25, Oliver Laughland, “‘My city is gone’: ‘supercell’ tornado annihilates Mississippi town and kills 23”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian‎[2], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 23 October 2026:
        The storm system was a supercell, the kind that brew the deadliest tornadoes and most damaging hail in the United States, said Walker Ashley […]
    2. (mineralogy) A repeating unit cell of a crystal that contains several primitive cells.

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