DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
Storm n.
1. A violent disturbance of the atmosphere, attended by wind, rain, snow, hail, or thunder and lightning; hence, often, a heavy fall of rain, snow, or hail, whether accompanied with wind or not.
We hear this fearful tempest sing,
Yet seek no shelter to avoid the storm. --Shak.
2. A violent agitation of human society; a civil, political, or domestic commotion; sedition, insurrection, or war; violent outbreak; clamor; tumult.
I will stir up in England some black storm. --Shak.
Her sister
Began to scold and raise up such a storm. --Shak.
3. A heavy shower or fall, any adverse outburst of tumultuous force; violence.
A brave man struggling in the storms of fate. --Pope.
4. Mil. A violent assault on a fortified place; a furious attempt of troops to enter and take a fortified place by scaling the walls, forcing the gates, or the like.
Note: ☞ Storm is often used in the formation of self-explained compounds; as, storm-presaging, stormproof, storm-tossed, and the like.
Anticyclonic storm Meteor., a storm characterized by a central area of high atmospheric pressure, and having a system of winds blowing spirally outward in a direction contrary to that cyclonic storms. It is attended by low temperature, dry air, infrequent precipitation, and often by clear sky. Called also high-area storm, anticyclone. When attended by high winds, snow, and freezing temperatures such storms have various local names, as blizzard, wet norther, purga, buran, etc.
Cyclonic storm. Meteor. A cyclone, or low-area storm. See Cyclone, above.
Magnetic storm. See under Magnetic.
Storm-and-stress period
Storm center Meteorol., the center of the area covered by a storm, especially by a storm of large extent.
Storm door Arch., an extra outside door to prevent the entrance of wind, cold, rain, etc.; -- usually removed in summer.
Storm path Meteorol., the course over which a storm, or storm center, travels.
Storm petrel. Zool. See Stormy petrel, under Petrel.
Storm sail Naut., any one of a number of strong, heavy sails that are bent and set in stormy weather.
Storm scud. See the Note under Cloud.
Syn: -- Tempest; violence; agitation; calamity.
Usage: Storm, Tempest. Storm is violent agitation, a commotion of the elements by wind, etc., but not necessarily implying the fall of anything from the clouds. Hence, to call a mere fall or rain without wind a storm is a departure from the true sense of the word. A tempest is a sudden and violent storm, such as those common on the coast of Italy, where the term originated, and is usually attended by a heavy rain, with lightning and thunder.
Storms beat, and rolls the main;
O! beat those storms, and roll the seas, in vain. --Pope.
What at first was called a gust, the same
Hath now a storm's, anon a tempest's name. --Donne.
storm center
n 1: a center of trouble or disturbance [syn: storm centre]
2: the central area or point of lowest barometric pressure
within a storm
3: the central area or place of lowest barometric pressure
within a storm [syn: storm centre]