Adjacent Words

Storm definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

STORM, n. [G., to disturb. L. The primary sense of storm is a rushing, raging or violent agitation.[
1. A violent wind; a tempest. Thus a storm of wind, is correct language, as the proper sense of the word is rushing, violence. It has primarily no reference to a fall of rain or snow. But as a violent wind is often attended with rain or snow, the word storm has come to be used, most improperly, for a fall of rain or snow without wind.
O beat those storms, and roll the seas in vain.
2. A violent assault on a fortified place; a furious attempt of troops to enter ad take a fortified place by scaling the walls, forcing the gates and the like.
3. Violent civil or political commotion; sedition; insurrection; also, clamor; tumult; disturbance of the public peace.
I will stir up in England some black storms.
Her sister began to scold and raise up such a storm--
4. Affliction; calamity; distress; adversity.
A brave man struggling in the storms of fate.
5. Violence; vehemence; tumultuous force.
STORM, v.t. To assault; to attack and attempt to take by scaling the walls, forcing gates or breaches and the like; as, to storm a fortified town.
STORM, v.i.
1. To raise a tempest.
2. To blow with violence; impersonally; as, it storms.
3. To rage; to be in a violent agitation of passion; to fume. The master storms.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a violent weather condition with winds 64-72 knots (11 on the Beaufort scale) and precipitation and thunder and lightning [syn: storm, violent storm]
2: a violent commotion or disturbance; "the storms that had characterized their relationship had died away"; "it was only a tempest in a teapot" [syn: storm, tempest]
3: a direct and violent assault on a stronghold v
1: behave violently, as if in state of a great anger [syn: ramp, rage, storm]
2: take by force; "Storm the fort" [syn: storm, force]
3: rain, hail, or snow hard and be very windy, often with thunder or lightning; "If it storms, we'll need shelter"
4: blow hard; "It was storming all night"
5: attack by storm; attack suddenly [syn: storm, surprise]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German sturm storm, Old English styrian to stir Date: before 12th century 1. a. a disturbance of the atmosphere marked by wind and usually by rain, snow, hail, sleet, or thunder and lightning b. a heavy fall of rain, snow, or hail c. (1) wind having a speed of 64 to 72 miles (103 to 117 kilometers) per hour (2) whole gale — see Beaufort scale table d. a serious disturbance of any element of nature 2. a disturbed or agitated state <storms of emotion> ; a sudden or violent commotion 3. a heavy discharge of objects (as missiles) 4. a tumultuous outburst <a storm of protests> 5. a. paroxysm 2 b. a sudden heavy influx or onset 6. a violent assault on a defended position 7. plural storm window II. verb Date: 15th century intransitive verb 1. a. to blow with violence b. to rain, hail, snow, or sleet vigorously 2. to attack by storm <stormed ashore at zero hour> 3. to be in or to exhibit a violent passion ; rage <storming at the unusual delay> 4. to rush about or move impetuously, violently, or angrily <the mob stormed through the streets> transitive verb to attack, take, or win over by storm <storm a fort> Synonyms: see attack

NOAA Weather Glossary

In marine usage, winds 48 knots (55 mph) or greater.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds and usu. with thunder and rain or snow etc. 2 Meteorol. a wind intermediate between gale and hurricane, esp. (on the Beaufort scale) of 55-72 m.p.h. 3 a violent disturbance of the established order in human affairs. 4 (foll. by of) a a violent shower of missiles or blows. b an outbreak of applause, indignation, hisses, etc. (they were greeted by a storm of abuse). 5 a a direct assault by troops on a fortified place. b the capture of a place by such an assault. --v. 1 intr. (often foll. by at, away) talk violently, rage, bluster. 2 intr. (usu. foll. by in, out of, etc.) move violently or angrily (stormed out of the meeting). 3 tr. attack or capture by storm. 4 intr. (of wind, rain, etc.) rage; be violent. Phrases and idioms: storm-bird = storm petrel. storm centre 1 the point to which the wind blows spirally inward in a cyclonic storm. 2 a subject etc. upon which agitation or disturbance is concentrated. storm cloud 1 a heavy rain-cloud. 2 a threatening state of affairs. storm-cock a mistle-thrush. storm-collar a high coat-collar that can be turned up and fastened. storm cone Brit. a tarred-canvas cone hoisted as a warning of high wind, upright for the north and inverted for the south. storm-door an additional outer door for protection in bad weather or winter. storm-finch Brit. = storm petrel. storm-glass a sealed tube containing a solution of which the clarity is thought to change when storms approach. storming-party a detachment of troops ordered to begin an assault. storm in a teacup Brit. great excitement over a trivial matter. storm-lantern Brit. a hurricane lamp. storm petrel 1 a small petrel, Hydrobates pelagicus, of the North Atlantic, with black and white plumage. 2 a person causing unrest. storm-sail a sail of smaller size and stouter canvas than the corresponding one used in ordinary weather. storm-signal a device warning of an approaching storm. storm trooper 1 hist. a member of the Nazi political militia. 2 a member of the shock troops. storm troops 1 = shock troops (see SHOCK(1)). 2 hist. the Nazi political militia. storm window an additional outer sash-window used like a storm-door. take by storm 1 capture by direct assault. 2 rapidly captivate (a person, audience, etc.). Derivatives: stormless adj. stormproof adj. Etymology: OE f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Storm Storm, n. Anticyclonic storm (Meteor.), a storm characterized by a central area of high atmospheric pressure, and having a system of winds blowing spirally outward in a direction contrary to that cyclonic storms. It is attended by low temperature, dry air, infrequent precipitation, and often by clear sky. Called also high-area storm, anticyclone. When attended by high winds, snow, and freezing temperatures such storms have various local names, as blizzard, wet norther, purga, buran, etc. Cyclonic storm. (Meteor.) A cyclone, or low-area storm. See Cyclone, above. Stovain Sto"va*in, n. Also -ine -ine . [Stove (a translation of the name of the discoverer, Fourneau + -in, -ine.] (Pharm.) A substance, C14H22O2NCl, the hydrochloride of an amino compound containing benzol, used, in solution with strychnine, as a local an[ae]sthetic, esp. by injection into the sheath of the spinal cord, producing an[ae]sthesia below the point of introduction.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Storm Storm, v. i. [Cf. AS. styrman.] 1. To raise a tempest. --Spenser. 2. To blow with violence; also, to rain, hail, snow, or the like, usually in a violent manner, or with high wind; -- used impersonally; as, it storms. 3. To rage; to be in a violent passion; to fume. The master storms, the lady scolds. --Swift.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Storm Storm, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stormed; p. pr. & vb. n. Storming.] (Mil.) To assault; to attack, and attempt to take, by scaling walls, forcing gates, breaches, or the like; as, to storm a fortified town.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Storm Storm, n. [AS. storm; akin to D. storm, G. sturm, Icel. stormr; and perhaps to Gr. ? assault, onset, Skr. s? to flow, to hasten, or perhaps to L. sternere to strew, prostrate (cf. Stratum). [root]166.] 1. A violent disturbance of the atmosphere, attended by wind, rain, snow, hail, or thunder and lightning; hence, often, a heavy fall of rain, snow, or hail, whether accompanied with wind or not. We hear this fearful tempest sing, Yet seek no shelter to avoid the storm. --Shak. 2. A violent agitation of human society; a civil, political, or domestic commotion; sedition, insurrection, or war; violent outbreak; clamor; tumult. I will stir up in England some black storm. --Shak. Her sister Began to scold and raise up such a storm. --Shak. 3. A heavy shower or fall, any adverse outburst of tumultuous force; violence. A brave man struggling in the storms of fate. --Pope. 4. (Mil.) A violent assault on a fortified place; a furious attempt of troops to enter and take a fortified place by scaling the walls, forcing the gates, or the like. Note: Storm is often used in the formation of self-explained compounds; as, storm-presaging, stormproof, storm-tossed, and the like. Magnetic storm. See under Magnetic. Storm-and-stress period [a translation of G. sturm und drang periode], a designation given to the literary agitation and revolutionary development in Germany under the lead of Goethe and Schiller in the latter part of the 18th century. Storm center (Meteorol.), the center of the area covered by a storm, especially by a storm of large extent. Storm door (Arch.), an extra outside door to prevent the entrance of wind, cold, rain, etc.; -- usually removed in summer.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(storms, storming, stormed) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A storm is very bad weather, with heavy rain, strong winds, and often thunder and lightning. ...the violent storms which whipped America's East Coast. N-COUNT 2. If something causes a storm, it causes an angry or excited reaction from a large number of people. The photos caused a storm when they were first published... ...the storm of publicity that Richard's book had generated. N-COUNT: oft N of n 3. A storm of applause or other noise is a sudden loud amount of it made by an audience or other group of people in reaction to something. His speech was greeted with a storm of applause... N-COUNT: usu sing, usu N of n 4. If you storm into or out of a place, you enter or leave it quickly and noisily, because you are angry. He stormed into an office, demanding to know where the head of department was. VERB: V adv/prep 5. If a place that is being defended is stormed, a group of people attack it, usually in order to get inside it. Government buildings have been stormed and looted... The refugees decided to storm the embassy. VERB: be V-ed, V n • storming ...the storming of the Bastille. N-UNCOUNT: N of n 6. see also firestorm 7. If someone or something takes a place by storm, they are extremely successful. Kenya's long distance runners have taken the athletics world by storm. PHRASE: V inflects 8. If someone weathers the storm, they succeed in reaching the end of a very difficult period without much harm or damage. He insists he will not resign and will weather the storm. PHRASE: V and N inflect 9. a storm in a teacup: see teacup

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Tempest, gale, hurricane, tornado, squall, whirlwind, violent wind (usually accompanied with rain, hail, or snow). 2. Disturbance, agitation, commotion, tumult, turmoil, clamor, sedition, insurrection, outbreak. 3. Calamity, adversity, distress, affliction. 4. Attack, assault, onslaught, onset, first brunt. 5. Violence, tumultuous force. II. v. a. Attack (with violence, as a fortification), assault. III. v. n. 1. Blow violently (with or without rain, hail, or snow). 2. Rage, fume, rant, tear.

Moby Thesaurus

access, agitation, assail, assault, attack, ball the jack, barbarize, barrage, barrel, batter, be angry, be excitable, be livid, be pissed, bellow, beset, besiege, black squall, blast, blaze, blaze of temper, blitz, blitzkrieg, blizzard, blow, blow a gasket, blow a hurricane, blow great guns, blow over, blow up, blowup, bluff, bluster, bluster and bluff, board, boil, bombard, boom, bounce, bowl along, brag, breeze, breeze along, breeze up, brew, broadside, browned off, brush, brutalize, bully, burn, burst, bustle, butcher, cannonade, carry on, catch fire, catch the infection, chafe, clamor, clatter, clip, cloudburst, come apart, come up, commotion, convulsion, cut along, cyclone, deluge, destroy, dirty weather, disorder, disturbance, downpour, drumfire, equinoctial, eruption, escalade, excite easily, explode, explosion, fall, fire up, fire upon, fit, flame up, flare up, flare-up, flash up, fleet, flip, flit, fly, fly low, foot, foray, foul weather, freshen, fret, fume, fusillade, gale, gasconade, gather, get excited, go fast, go into hysterics, go on, gust, hail, half a gale, hammer, harmattan, hassle, have a conniption, have a tantrum, heavy blow, hector, high words, highball, hit the ceiling, howl, hubbub, huff, hurly-burly, hurricane, ill wind, inroad, intimidate, inundate, invade, irruption, khamsin, lay siege to, lay waste, line squall, line storm, loot, make a raid, make an inroad, make knots, maul, mistral, monsoon, mug, nip, out-herod Herod, outbreak, outburst, outcry, outpouring, outstrip the wind, overwhelm, paroxysm, pillage, pipe up, pissed off, pother, pour it on, puff, rage, raid, rain, rainstorm, raise Cain, raise hell, raise the devil, raise the roof, ramp, rampage, rant, rant and rave, rape, rave, riot, rip, roar, roister, rollick, rough weather, ruction, ruin, rumpus, run a temperature, sack, salvo, samiel, sandstorm, savage, scale, scale the walls, scene, scorch, seethe, seizure, set in, shell, shower, siege, simmer, simoom, sirocco, sizzle, skim, slang, slaughter, sleet, smoke, smolder, snow, snowstorm, sow chaos, spasm, speed, splutter, sputter, squall, squall line, stew, stir, storm along, storm wind, storming, stormy weather, stormy winds, strife, strike, strong wind, swagger, swashbuckle, sweep, take by storm, take fire, take on, taking by storm, tear, tear along, tear around, tempest, tempestuous rage, tempestuous wind, terrorize, thick squall, throw a fit, thunder, thunder along, thundersquall, thunderstorm, to-do, tornado, tropical cyclone, turbulence, turmoil, turn a hair, typhoon, ugly wind, upheaval, vandalize, vapor, violate, violent blow, volley, waft, whiff, whiffle, whirlwind, whisk, white squall, whiz, whole gale, williwaw, wind-shift line, windstorm, wreck, zing, zip, zoom