thunder

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The loud rumbling or crashing sound that follows a flash of lightning.

   The children were frightened by the loud thunder.

2. 2
   verb

   To make a very loud, deep noise.

   The waterfall thundered into the river below.

3. 3
   verb

   To move quickly with a loud, heavy noise.

   The horses thundered across the field.

From Middle English thunder, thonder, thundre, thonre, thunnere, þunre, from Old English þunor (“thunder”), from Proto-West Germanic *þunr, 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, Norwegian Nynorsk tore. Other cognates include Persian تندر (tondar), Latin tonō, detonō, Ancient Greek στένω (sténō), στενάζω (stenázō), στόνος (stónos), Στέντωρ (Sténtōr), Irish torann, Welsh taran, Gaulish Taran…

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