thunder

Meanings

Noun

• 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.
• The discharge of electricity; a thunderbolt.
• The spotlight.

Verb

• To produce thunder; to sound, rattle, or roar, as a discharge of atmospheric electricity; often used impersonally.
• To make a noise like thunder.
• To talk with a loud, threatening voice.
• To say (something) with a loud, threatening voice.
• To produce something with incredible power

Origin

• From Middle English thunder, thonder, thundre, thonre, thunnere, þunre, from Old English þunor, from Proto-West Germanic *þunr, from Proto-Germanic *þunraz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ten-, *(s)tenh₂-.
• Compare astound, astonish, stun. Germanic cognates include West Frisian tonger, Dutch donder, German Donner, Old Norse Þórr (English Thor), Danish torden, Norwegian Nynorsk tore. Other cognates include Persian تندر, Latin tonō, detonō, Ancient Greek στένω, στενάζω, στόνος, Στέντωρ, Irish torann, Welsh taran, Gaulish Taranis. donner.