Etymology

fulminate

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Today it means: To make a verbal attack. Full definition →

Middle English fulminaten ← Latin fulminātus
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fulminate · verb1

  1. Latin · derived fromfulminātus
  2. Middle English · inherited fromfulminaten
  3. English todayfulminate

Inherited from Middle English fulminaten, borrowed from Latin fulminātus, perfect passive participle of fulminō (“to lighten, hurl or strike with lightning”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from fulmen (“lightning which strikes and sets on fire, thunderbolt”), from earlier *fulgmen, *fulgimen, from fulgeō, fulgō (“flash, lighten”). Doublet of fulmine. More at fulgent.

fulminate · noun2

From fulminic acid + -ate (“salt or ester”). By surface analysis, fulmine + -ate.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.