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.