THUNDER

boom, roar, roaring, thunder

(noun) a deep prolonged loud noise

thunder

(noun) a booming or crashing noise caused by air expanding along the path of a bolt of lightning

thunder, roar

(verb) utter words loudly and forcefully; “‘Get out of here,’ he roared”

thunder

(verb) to make or produce a loud noise; “The river thundered below”; “The engine roared as the driver pushed the car to full throttle”

thunder

(verb) move fast, noisily, and heavily; “The bus thundered down the road”

thunder, boom

(verb) be the case that thunder is being heard; “Whenever it thunders, my dog crawls under the bed”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

thunder (countable and uncountable, plural thunders)

The loud rumbling, cracking, or crashing sound caused by expansion of rapidly heated air around a lightning bolt.

A deep, rumbling noise resembling thunder.

An alarming or startling threat or denunciation.

(obsolete) The discharge of electricity; a thunderbolt.

(figuratively) The spotlight.

Usage notes

• roll, clap, peal are some of the words used to count thunder e.g. A series of rolls/claps/peals of thunder were heard

Verb

thunder (third-person singular simple present thunders, present participle thundering, simple past and past participle thundered)

To produce thunder; to sound, rattle, or roar, as a discharge of atmospheric electricity; often used impersonally.

(intransitive) To make a noise like thunder.

(intransitive) To talk with a loud, threatening voice.

(transitive) To say (something) with a loud, threatening voice.

To produce something with incredible power

Proper noun

Thunder

The 13th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an.

Source: Wiktionary


Thun"der, n. Etym: [OE. , , , AS. ; akin to to stretch, to thunder, D. donder thunder, G. donner, OHG. donar, Icel. Thor, L. tonare to thunder, tonitrus thunder, Gr. tan to stretch. *52. See Thin, and cf. Astonish, Detonate, Intone, Thursday, Tone.]

1. The sound which follows a flash of lightning; the report of a discharge of atmospheric electricity.

2. The discharge of electricity; a thunderbolt. [Obs.] The revenging gods 'Gainst parricides did all their thunders bend. Shak.

3. Any loud noise; as, the thunder of cannon.

4. An alarming or statrling threat or denunciation. The thunders of the Vatican could no longer strike into the heart of princes. Prescott. Thunder pumper. (Zoöl.) (a) The croaker (Haploidontus grunniens). (b) The American bittern or stake-driver.

– Thunder rod, a lightning rod. [R.] -- Thunder snake. (Zoöl.) (a) The chicken, or milk, snake. (b) A small reddish ground snake (Carphophis, or Celuta, amoena) native to the Eastern United States;

– called also worm snake.

– Thunder tube, a fulgurite. See Fulgurite.

Thun"der, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Thundered; p. pr. & vb. n. Thundering.] Etym: [AS. . See Thunder, n.]

1. To produce thunder; to sound, rattle, or roar, as a discharge of atmospheric electricity; -- often used impersonally; as, it thundered continuously. Canst thou thunder with a voice like him Job xl. 9.

2. Fig.: To make a loud noise; esp. a heavy sound, of some continuance. His dreadful voice no more Would thunder in my ears. Milton.

3. To utter violent denunciation.

Thun"der, v. t.

Definition: To emit with noise and terror; to utter vehemently; to publish, as a threat or denunciation. Oracles severe Were daily thundered in our general's ear. Dryden. An archdeacon, as being a prelate, may thunder out an ecclesiastical censure. Ayliffe.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

10 January 2025

INTERSPERSION

(noun) the act of combining one thing at intervals among other things; “the interspersion of illustrations in the text”


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