ful´mi|na´tor

ful|mi|nate «FUHL muh nayt», verb, -nat|ed, -nat|ing, noun.

–v.t.

1. to thunder forth; utter or publish (condemnation, censure, threats, decrees, or the like).

2. Figurative. to denounce violently; censure strongly: »

to fulminate such vain and impious wretches (Edmund Burke).

3. to cause to explode violently.

–v.i.

1. Figurative. to denounce violently; thunder: »

The newspapers fulminated against the crime wave.

2. to explode violently; detonate; go off.

3. (of a disease) to develop suddenly and severely.

4. to thunder and lighten.

–n. Chemistry.

1. a violent explosive.

2. a salt of fulminic acid. The fulminates, chiefly mercury and silver, are very unstable compounds, exploding with great violence by percussion or heating.

╂[< Latin fulmināre (with English -ate¹) < fulmen lighing, related to fulgēre to shine]

–ful´mi|na´tor, noun.