anticyclone

noun

Meaning

A large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, rotating clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere, typically associated with calm, clear weather.

Examples

  • The slow-moving anticyclone brought unusually dry conditions to the entire valley.
  • Meteorologists tracked the anticyclone as it drifted eastward across the continent.

Synonyms: high-pressure system, high, high-pressure area, anticyclonic system