storm

Any disturbed state of the atmosphere causing destructive or unpleasant weather, especially one affecting the earth's surface involving strong winds (leading to high waves at sea) and usually lightning, thunder, and precipitation.

Noun

  1. Any disturbed state of the atmosphere causing destructive or unpleasant weather, especially one affecting the earth's surface involving strong winds (leading to high waves at sea) and usually lightning, thunder, and precipitation.
    • Near-synonyms: cyclone (broad sense), tempest
    • The boat was torn to pieces in the storm, and nobody survived.
    • Thou toyl'ſt in perrill, and the vvindie ſtorme, / Doth topſide-turuey toſſe thee as thou floteſt. - 1594, Robert Garnier, translated by Thomas Kid [i.e., Thomas Kyd], Pompey the Great, His Faire Corneliaes Tragedie:...

    Synonyms: cyclone tempest

    1. (by extension) A heavy fall of precipitation (hail, rain, or snow) or bout of lightning and thunder without strong winds; a hail storm, rainstorm, snowstorm, or thunderstorm.

      Synonyms: cyclone tempest

    2. (by extension) Synonym of cyclone (“a weather phenomenon consisting of a system of winds rotating around a centre of low atmospheric pressure”).

      Synonyms: cyclone tempest

    3. (by extension, Canada, Scotland, US, dated) A period of frosty and/or snowy weather.

      Synonyms: cyclone tempest

    4. (meteorology) A disturbed state of the atmosphere between a severe or strong gale and a hurricane on the modern Beaufort scale, with a wind speed of between 89 and 102 kilometres per hour (55–63 miles per hour; 10 on the scale, known as a "storm" or whole gale), or of between 103 and 117 kilometres per hour (64–72 miles per hour; 11 on the scale, known as a "violent storm").

      Synonyms: cyclone tempest

  2. A heavy expulsion or fall of things (as blows, objects which are thrown, etc.).
    • a storm of bullets
    • Adrastus firſt aduanſt his creſt aloft, / And boldly gan a ſtrong ſcalado reare, / And through the falling ſtorme did vpward clime / Of ſtones, dartes, arrovves, fire, pitch and lime: […] - 1600, [Torquato Tasso], “The...
    • [F]or this day will pour down, / If I conjecture aught, no drizling ſhowr, / But ratling ſtorm of Arrows barbd with fire. - 1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to...
  3. A violent agitation of human society; a domestic, civil, or political commotion.
    • The proposed reforms have led to a political storm.
    • Savv you no more? Mark'd you not hovv hir ſiſter / Began to ſcold, and raiſe vp ſuch a ſtorme, / That moral eares might hardly indure the din. - c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the...
    • VVhiles I in Ireland nouriſh a mightie Band, / I vvill ſtirre vp in England ſome black Storme, / Shall blovve then thouſand Soules to Heauen, or Hell: […] - 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of...

    Synonyms: tempest tumult

  4. A violent commotion or outbreak of sounds, speech, thoughts, etc.; also, an outpouring of emotion.
    • a storm of protest
    • [W]as there euer any thing proiected, that fauoured any vvay of nevvneſſe or renevving, but the ſame endured many a ſtorme of gaine-ſaying, or oppoſition? - 1611, [Miles Smith], “The Translators to the Reader”, in The...
    • With storms of whistlings then his flock he drave / Up to the mountains; […] - 1614–1615, Homer, “The Ninth Book of Homer’s Odysseys”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., Homer’s Odysses. […], London: […] Rich[ard] Field [and...
  5. Chiefly with a qualifying word: a violent attack of diease, pain, physiological reactions, symptoms, etc.; a paroxysm.
    • asthmatic storm cytokine storm
    • He ſvvet and ſvvet againe vvith ſuch exceſſiue ſvvoonings, as not only himſelfe, but likevviſe all the beholders, did verily deeme, that his life vvas ending. This ſtorme and miſhappe endured about ſome tvvo hovvres,...
  6. Ellipsis of storm window (“a second window (originally detachable) attached on the exterior side of a window in climates with harsh winters, to add an insulating layer of still air between the outside and inside”).

Origin

From Middle English storm (“disturbed state of the atmosphere; heavy precipitation; battle, conflict; attack”) [and other forms], from Old English storm (“tempest, storm; attack; storm of arrows; disquiet, disturbance, tumult, uproar; onrush, rush”) [and other forms], from Proto-West Germanic *sturm (“storm”), from Proto-Germanic *sturmaz (“storm”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)twerH- (“to agitate, stir up; to propel; to urge on”). Related to stir. Cognates * Danish storm (“storm”) * Dutch storm (“storm”) * German Sturm (“storm”) * Icelandic stormur (“storm”) * Low German storm (“storm”) * Norwegian Bokmål storm (“storm”) * Norwegian Nynorsk storm (“storm”) * Scots storm (“storm”) * Swedish storm (“storm”) * West Frisian stoarm (“storm”)

Forms

storms

Synonyms

procelle storm

Hyponyms

barnstorm blamestorm blatherstorm boot storm brainstorm broadcast storm bug storm buzzstorm crapstorm cyclonic storm cytokine storm duststorm earthquake storm earthstorm electrical storm electromagnetic storm email storm firestorm geomagnetic storm hail storm heat storm hundred-year storm ice storm interrupt storm

Related

blizzard hydrometeor

Derived

any port in a storm ark storm bestorm brain storm brain-storm calm before the storm cook up a storm Desert Storm syndrome dust storm eye of the storm fart in a wind storm fart in a windstorm fire storm fish storm Frankenstorm Guadalupe storm petrel hailstorm hellstorm icestorm leaf storm leaf-storm lightning storm line storm lull before the storm

Noun government, military

  1. A violent assault on a fortified position or stronghold.

Origin

The verb is derived from Middle English stormen (“of the wind: to blow violently; to cause to roll or toss”), from storm (noun) (see etymology 1) + -en (suffix forming the infinitives of verbs). Compare Middle English sturmen (“to attack (someone) with great force”), from Old English styrman (“to rage, storm; to make a great noise, cry aloud, shout, storm”), from Proto-West Germanic *sturmijan (“to storm”), from Proto-Germanic *sturmijaną (“to storm”), from *sturmaz (“a storm”) (see etymology 1) + *-janą (suffix forming causatives from strong verbs, with a sense of ‘to cause to do [the action of the verb]’). The Middle English word did not survive into modern English. The noun is derived from verb etymology 2, verb sense 2.3 (“to violently assault (a fortified position or stronghold, a building, etc.) with the aim of gaining control of it”). Cognates * Dutch stormen (“to bluster,...

Forms

storms

Synonyms

procelle storm

Hyponyms

windstorm tornado twister thunderstorm duststorm hurricane cyclone tropical storm typhoon whirlwind hailstorm snowstorm tempest waterspout blizzard

Related

hydrometeor

Verb

  1. Preceded by the dummy subject it: to have strong winds and usually lightning and thunder, and/or hail, rain, or snow.
    • It stormed throughout the night.
    • Throughout the night it stormed violently—rain, hail, snow, and sleet beating upon the vessel—the wind continuing ahead, and the sea running high. - 1840, R[ichard] H[enry] D[ana], Jr., chapter V, in Two Years before...
    • We all like to see people seasick when we are not, ourselves. Playing whist by the cabin lamps when it is storming outside, is pleasant; walking the quarter-deck in the moonlight, is pleasant; […] but these are all...
  2. To make (someone or something) stormy; to agitate (someone or something) violently.
    • And dovvne I laid to liſt the ſad tun'd tale, / Ere long eſpied a fickle maid full pale / Tearing of papers breaking rings a tvvaine, / Storming her vvorld vvith ſorrovves, vvind and raine. - 1609, William Shakespeare,...
    • Meantime, our simulated thunderclaps / Which tell us counterfeited truths—these same / Are—sound, when music storms the soul, perhaps? - 1878, Robert Browning, “The Two Poets of Croisic”, in La Saisiaz: The Two Poets of...
    • The driver turned in the saddle to see if there were any chance of capturing the revolver and ending the ride. Dick roused, struck him over the head with the butt, and stormed himself wide awake. - 1891 January, Rudyard...
  3. To disturb or trouble (someone).

    Synonyms: aggravate annoy nettle rankle ruffle sting antagonize bother disgruntle botherate bug get grate burn up bedevil cheese off devil exasperate frustrate get up grotch hack off hassle irk

  4. To use (harsh language).
  5. To violently assault (a fortified position or stronghold, a building, etc.) with the aim of gaining control of it.
    • the storming of the Bastille
    • Troops stormed the complex.
    • All night beneath hard heavy arms to vvatch; / All day to mount the trench, to ſtorm the breach; […] - 1692 (date written), Matthew Prior, “Ode; in Imitation of Horace, 3 Od. ii.”, in The Poetical Works of Matthew Prior...

    1. (figurative, often poetic) To assault or gain control or power over (someone's heart, mind, etc.).

      • No Engines can a Tyrant find, / to ſtorm the Truth-ſupported Mind, […] - 1750 March 27 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), Thomas Morell (lyrics), George Frideric Handel (music), Theodora: An Oratorio […], London:...
  6. To catch up (on production output) by making frenzied or herculean efforts.
    • They were storming near the end of the month to salvage some goodwill.
  7. To protect (seed-hay) from stormy weather by putting sheaves of them into small stacks.
  8. Of the weather: to be violent, with strong winds and usually lightning and thunder, and/or hail, rain, or snow.
    • My harueſte haſts to ſtirre vp winter ſterne, / And bids him clayme with rigorous rage hys right. / So nowe he ſtormes with many a ſturdy ſtoure, / So now his bluſtring blaſt eche coſte doth ſcoure. - 1579, Immeritô...
    • [H]e, whose bow thus storm'd / For our offences, may be calm'd. - [1611?], Homer, “Book I”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC; republished as...
    • From Shetland ſtradling vvide, his [Boreas's] foote on Thuly ſets: / VVhence ſtorming, all the vaſt Deucalidon hee threts, / And beares his boyſtrous vvaues into the narrovver mouth / Of the Verginian Sea: […] - 1612,...
  9. To be exposed to harsh (especially cold) weather.
  10. To move noisily and quickly like a storm (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1), usually in a state of anger or uproar.
    • She stormed out of the room.
    • Then the music touch'd the gates and died; / Rose again from where it seem'd to fail, / Storm'd in orbs of song, a growing gale; […] - 1842, Alfred Tennyson, “The Vision of Sin”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward...
    • Storm'd at with shot and shell, / Boldly they rode and well; / Into the jaws of Death, / Into the mouth of Hell, / Rode the six hundred. - 1855, Alfred Tennyson, “The Charge of the Light Brigade”, in Maud, and Other...
  11. To move quickly in the course of an assault on a fortified position or stronghold, a building, etc.
  12. To be in a violent temper; to use harsh language; to fume, to rage.
    • [T]he prieſts of the countrey cluſtering togither, began to grudge and ſtorme againſt Tindall [William Tyndale], rauing againſt him in alehouſes and other places. - 1610 October, John Foxe, “The Life and Storie of the...
    • VVhy looke you hovv you ſtorme, / I vvould be friends vvith you, and haue your loue, / Forget the ſhames that you haue ſtain'd me vvith, […] - c. 1596–1598 (date written), W[illiam] Shakespeare, The Excellent History of...
    • O Father, storm'st thou not / To see us take these wrongs from men? - [1611?], Homer, “Book V”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC; republished...

Forms

storms storming stormed no-table-tags glossary storm stormest stormedst stormeth -

Derived

barnstorm bestorm outstorm stormable stormed stormer storm in storming storm off storm out storm out of the blocks unstormed yarnstorm