fulmination

English

Etymology

From Middle French fulmination, from Latin fulminātiō; equivalent to fulmine +‎ -ation.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /fʌlmɪˈneɪʃən/, /fʊlmɪˈneɪʃən/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

fulmination (countable and uncountable, plural fulminations)

1. The act of fulminating or exploding; detonation.
2. The act of thundering forth threats or censures, as with authority.
   • [1921 [1919], H. L. Mencken, chapter 23, in The American Language, 2nd edition, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, →OCLC:

     It is curious, reading the fulminations of American purists of the last generation, to note how many of the Americanisms they denounced have not only got into perfectly good usage at home but even broken down all guards across the ocean.]

3. That which is fulminated or thundered forth; vehement menace or censure.

Related terms

• fulminate
• fulminator
• fulminating compound
• fulminic acid

Translations

the act of thundering forth threats or censures

• Russian: осужде́ние (ru) n (osuždénije)

Further reading

Wikipedia article on Explosive material

French

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

fulmination f (plural fulminations)

1. fulmination

Further reading

• “fulmination”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.