Thunderstorms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Severe weather events characterized by heavy rain, strong winds, and lightning
2. Intense atmospheric disturbances that produce rain along with thunder and lightning
3. Meteorological phenomena marked by the presence of lightning, thunder, and often torrential rain

Etymology: This is an inflected form, so the story belongs to its base word. "Thunderstorms" is simply the plural of "thunderstorm," a compound built from "thunder" and "storm." Both parts are old English words: "thunder" comes from the Old English "thunor," the sound of the sky following the lightning, and "storm" traces back to the Old English "storm," a violent disturbance of the weather. Joined together, the pair describes exactly what the word says: a storm in which thunder is heard, with the sound and the weather fused into a single idea.

Synonyms: tempest, storm, thunderstorm

Antonyms: calm, clear weather