tonitruate

English

Etymology

From the past participle stem of Latin tonitruare (“to thunder”), from tonitrus (“thunder”).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /təˈnɪtɹʊeɪt/

Verb

tonitruate (third-person singular simple present tonitruates, present participle tonitruating, simple past and past participle tonitruated)

  1. (rare, intransitive) To thunder.
    • 1733 August, The Gentleman's Magazine, page 412:
      […] yet through the caliginous sublimity of internexed conundrums, tonitruating with obstreperous cadencies, you rather obfuscate than illuminate our A-b-c-darian conceptions […]
    • 1980, Anthony Burgess, Earthly Powers:
      Stertile thunder tonitruated terribly. ‘Oh Lord forgive us our bloody sins.’ Rain now pelted. It was hard work finding a taxi.
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