Meaning and Origin
What does the name Thunder mean? Keep reading to find the user submitted meanings, dictionary definitions, and more.
User Submitted Origins
- The sound which follows a flash of lightning; the report of a discharge of atmospheric electricity.
- The discharge of electricity; a thunderbolt.(Obs)"The revenging gods 'Gainst parricides did all their thunders bend." [Shak.]
- Any loud noise; as, the thunder of cannon.
- An alarming or statrling threat or denunciation."The thunders of the Vatican could no longer strike into the heart of princes." [Prescott.]
Etymology: OE. þunder þonder þoner, AS. þunor; akin to þunian to stretch, to thunder, D. donder thunder, G. donner, OHG. donar, Icel. þōrr Thor, L. tonare to thunder, tonitrus thunder, Gr. to`nos a stretching, straining, Skr. tan to stretch. √52. See Thin, and cf. Astonish Detonate Intone Thursday Tone
- 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.]
- Fig.: To make a loud noise; esp. a heavy sound, of some continuance."His dreadful voice no more Would thunder in my ears." [Milton.]
- To utter violent denunciation.
Etymology: AS. þunrian. See Thunder (n.)
- Street names for heroin
- A deep prolonged loud noise
- A booming or crashing noise caused by air expanding along the path of a bolt of lightning
- Utter words loudly and forcefully
- To make or produce a loud noise ("The river thundered below")
- Move fast, noisily, and heavily ("The bus thundered down the road")
- Be the case that thunder is being heard ("Whenever it thunders, my dog crawls under the bed")
From Middle English thunder, thonder, thundre, thonre, thunnere, þunre, from Old English þunor (“thunder”), from Proto-Germanic *þunraz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ten-, *(s)tenh₂- (“to thunder”). Compare astound, astonish, stun. Germanic cognates include West Frisian tonger, Dutch donder, German Donner, Old Norse Þórr (English Thor), Danish torden. Other cognates include Persian تندر (tondar), Latin tonō, detonō, Ancient Greek στένω (sténō), στενάζω (stenázō), στόνος (stónos), Στέντωρ (Sténtōr), Irish torann, Welsh taran, Gaulish Taranis.
- The loud rumbling, cracking, or crashing sound caused by expansion of rapidly heated air around a lightning bolt.
- is preceded by lightning.
- A deep, rumbling noise resembling thunder.
- Off in the distance, he heard the of hoofbeats, signalling a stampede.
- An alarming or startling threat or denunciation.
- (obsolete) The discharge of electricity; a thunderbolt.
- (figuratively) The spotlight.
- Shortly after I announced my pregnancy, he stole my with his news of landing his dream job.
thunder was also found in the following language(s): Middle English