Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To issue a thunderous verbal attack or denunciation.
- intransitive verb To explode or detonate.
- intransitive verb To issue (a denunciation, for example) thunderously.
- intransitive verb To cause to explode.
- noun An explosive salt of fulminic acid, especially fulminate of mercury.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To lighten; flash with detonation.
- Hence To explode with a loud noise; detonate.
- Figuratively, to issue threats, denunciations, censures, and the like, with or as with authority.
- In refining, to become suddenly bright and uniform in color: said of melted gold mixed with antimony.
- To cause to explode.
- Figuratively, to utter or send out, as a denunciation or censure; especially, to send out, as a menace or censure, by ecclesiastical authority.
- noun A compound formed by the union of a base with fulminic acid.
- noun An explosion; a sudden and explosive action.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To cause to explode.
- transitive verb To utter or send out with denunciations or censures; -- said especially of menaces or censures uttered by ecclesiastical authority.
- intransitive verb To thunder; hence, to make a loud, sudden noise; to detonate; to explode with a violent report.
- intransitive verb To issue or send forth decrees or censures with the assumption of supreme authority; to thunder forth menaces.
- noun A salt of fulminic acid. See under
fulminic . - noun A fulminating powder.
- noun an explosive compound of gold; -- called also
fulminating gold , andaurum fulminans .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb intransitive, figuratively To make a
verbal attack . - verb transitive, figuratively To issue a
denunciation . - verb To strike with
lightning ; to cause toexplode . - noun chemistry Any
salt orester offulminic acid ; mostlyexplosive .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb cause to explode violently and with loud noise
- verb come on suddenly and intensely
- verb criticize severely
- noun a salt or ester of fulminic acid
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Mercury fulminate is very sensitive to shock, friction, and sparks.
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Not sure if you're being funny or not, but for those playing at home I will simply note that in modern usage "fulminate" usually means "criticize acidly" ...
Imagethief 2008
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Not sure if you're being funny or not, but for those playing at home I will simply note that in modern usage "fulminate" usually means "criticize acidly" ...
Imagethief 2008
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He says the tube contains fulminate of mercury, and the word 'fulminate' means to flash like lightning. "
Hot Money Francis, Dick 1987
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Vatican apologists and strict adherents will fulminate on and on about the first priest, Peter, receiving the keys to the church and such, but even if those who ignore the several weak links and breaks in the chain of apostolic succession generally concede that Peter himself was a bit of a hot-head, the great mistake-maker of the apostles.
Michele Somerville: Roy Bourgeois Detained At The Vatican For The Crime Of Primacy Of Conscience Michele Somerville 2011
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This year I was too busy to fulminate about it, too busy to remonstrate or dismiss or despair, and now the opportunity is gone forever.
What I've missed Joel Achenbach 2011
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Vatican apologists and strict adherents will fulminate on and on about the first priest, Peter, receiving the keys to the church and such, but even if those who ignore the several weak links and breaks in the chain of apostolic succession generally concede that Peter himself was a bit of a hot-head, the great mistake-maker of the apostles.
Michele Somerville: Roy Bourgeois Detained At The Vatican For The Crime Of Primacy Of Conscience Michele Somerville 2011
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Echoing Hayek and Beck, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, House Speaker John Boehner, Rep. Darrell Issa, and the Tea Party can fulminate all they want that government policies to make corporations behave more responsibly -- such as the minimum wage, consumer and environmental protection laws, rules to improve workplace safety, regulations to restrain Wall Street abuses, and health care reform -- are "job killers."
Peter Dreier: How Do Wrong Economic Ideas Become Conventional Wisdom? Peter Dreier 2011
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They will pitch a hissy fit for years, and then quietly accept and mainstream the very ideas against which they used to fulminate.
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Let the rejectionists fulminate and sputter until they wear their vocal cords out.
elohiwarrior commented on the word fulminate
Is laissez passer a requirement to collaborate?
June 28, 2009
qms commented on the word fulminate
From far and near hear them all ululate
As grievances endlessly pullulate.
The deeds that offend
They cannot amend
But, oh, are they able to fulminate!
September 12, 2017
bilby commented on the word fulminate
If I were culminate or aluminate I'd be, well, fulminating.
September 13, 2017
qms commented on the word fulminate
On such things do they ruminate in Oz.
September 14, 2017