a loud, explosive, resounding noise produced by the explosive expansion of air heated by a lightning discharge.
2.
any loud, resounding noise: the thunder of applause.
3.
a threatening or startling utterance, denunciation, or the like.
–verb (used without object)
4.
to give forth thunder (often used impersonally with it as the subject): It thundered last night.
5.
to make a loud, resounding noise like thunder: The artillery thundered in the hills.
6.
to utter loud or vehement denunciations, threats, or the like.
7.
to speak in a very loud tone.
8.
to move or go with a loud noise or violent action: The train thundered through the village.
–verb (used with object)
9.
to strike, drive, inflict, give forth, etc., with loud noise or violent action.
—Idiom
10.
steal someone's thunder,
a.
to use for one's own purposes and without the knowledge or permission of the originator the inventions or ideas of another.
b.
to ruin or detract from the effect of a performance, remark, etc., by anticipating it.
[Origin: bef. 900; (n.) ME thonder, thunder, OE thunor; c. D donder, G Donner; ON thōrr Thor, lit., thunder; (v.) ME thondren, OE thunrian, deriv. of the v.; akin to L tonāre to thunder]
O.E. þunor, from P.Gmc. *thunraz (cf. O.N. þorr, O.Fris. thuner, M.Du. donre, Du. donder, O.H.G. donar, Ger. Donner "thunder"), from PIE *(s)tene- "to resound, thunder" (cf. Skt. tanayitnuh "thundering," Pers. tundar "thunder," L. tonare "to thunder"). Swed. tordön is lit. "Thor's din." The intrusive -d- is also found in Du. and Icelandic versions of the word. The verb is O.E. þunrian; fig. sense of "to speak loudly, threateningly, bombastically" is recorded from c.1340. Thunderbolt is from c.1440; thunderclap is from c.1386; thunderstruck is from 1613, originally fig.; the lit. sense always has been rare. Thunderhead "high-piled cloud" is recorded from 1861.
thunderAudio Help (thŭn'dər) Pronunciation Key
The explosive noise that accompanies a stroke of lightning. Thunder is a series of sound waves produced by the rapid expansion of the air through which the lightning passes. Sound travels about 1 km in 3 seconds (about 1 mi in 5 seconds). The distance between an observer and a lightning flash can be calculated by counting the number of seconds between the flash and the thunder. See Note at lightning.
Good Thunder, MN (city, FIPS 24506) Location: 44.00668 N, 94.07014 W Population (1990): 561 (230 housing units) Area: 1.6 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 56037
As*ton"ish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Astonished; p. pr. & vb. n. Astonishing.] [OE. astonien, astunian, astonen, OF. estoner, F. ['e]tonner, fr. L. ex out + tonare to thunder, but perhaps influenced by E. stun. See Thunder, Astound, Astony.]1. To stun; to render senseless, as by a blow. [Obs.] Enough, captain; you have astonished him. [Fluellen had struck Pistol]. --Shak. The very cramp-fish [i. e., torpedo] . . . being herself not benumbed, is able to astonish others. --Holland. 2. To strike with sudden fear, terror, or wonder; to amaze; to surprise greatly, as with something unaccountable; to confound with some sudden emotion or passion. Musidorus . . . had his wits astonished with sorrow. --Sidney. I, Daniel . . . was astonished at the vision. --Dan. viii. 27. Syn: To amaze; astound; overwhelm; surprise. Usage: Astonished, Surprised. We are surprised at what is unexpected. We are astonished at what is above or beyond our comprehension. We are taken by surprise. We are struck with astonishment. --C. J. Smith. See Amaze.
Det"o*nate\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Detonated; p. pr. & vb. n. Detonating.] [L. detonare, v. i., to thunder down; de + tonare to thunder; akin to E. thunder. See Thunder, and cf. Detonize.] To explode with a sudden report; as, niter detonates with sulphur.
Thin\, a. [Compar. Thiner; superl. Thinest.] [OE. thinne, thenne, thunne, AS. [thorn]ynne; akin to D. dun, G. d["u]nn, OHG. dunni, Icel. [thorn]unnr, Sw. tunn, Dan. tynd, Gael. & Ir. tana, W. teneu, L. tenuis, Gr. ? (in comp.) stretched out, ? stretched, stretched out, long, Skr. tanu thin, slender; also to AS. ?enian to extend, G. dehnen, Icel. ?enja, Goth. ?anjan (in comp.), L. tendere to stretch, tenere to hold, Gr. ? to stretch, Skr. tan. [root]51 & 237. Cf. Attenuate, Dance, Tempt, Tenable, Tend to move, Tenous, Thunder, Tone.]1. Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite; as, a thin plate of metal; thin paper; a thin board; a thin covering. 2. Rare; not dense or thick; -- applied to fluids or soft mixtures; as, thin blood; thin broth; thin air. --Shak. In the day, when the air is more thin. --Bacon. Satan, bowing low His gray dissimulation, disappeared, Into thin air diffused. --Milton. 3. Not close; not crowded; not filling the space; not having the individuals of which the thing is composed in a close or compact state; hence, not abundant; as, the trees of a forest are thin; the corn or grass is thin. Ferrara is very large, but extremely thin of people. --Addison. 4. Not full or well grown; wanting in plumpness. Seven thin ears . . . blasted with the east wind. --Gen. xli. 6. 5. Not stout; slim; slender; lean; gaunt; as, a person becomes thin by disease. 6. Wanting in body or volume; small; feeble; not full. Thin, hollow sounds, and lamentable screams. --Dryden. 7. Slight; small; slender; flimsy; wanting substance or depth or force; superficial; inadequate; not sufficient for a covering; as, a thin disguise. My tale is done, for my wit is but thin. --Chaucer. Note: Thin is used in the formation of compounds which are mostly self-explaining; as, thin-faced, thin-lipped, thin-peopled, thin-shelled, and the like. Thin section. See under Section.
often referred to in Scripture (Job 40:9; Ps. 77:18; 104:7). James and John were called by our Lord "sons of thunder" (Mark 3:17). In Job 39:19, instead of "thunder," as in the Authorized Version, the Revised Version translates (ra'amah) by "quivering main" (marg., "shaking"). Thunder accompanied the giving of the law at Sinai (Ex. 19:16). It was regarded as the voice of God (Job 37:2; Ps. 18:13; 81:7; comp. John 12:29). In answer to Samuel's prayer (1 Sam. 12:17, 18), God sent thunder, and "all the people greatly feared," for at such a season (the wheat-harvest) thunder and rain were almost unknown in Palestine.
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Audio Help [thuhn-der] Pronunciation Key 
