Thun″der (?), n. [OE. þunder, þonder, þoner, AS. þunor; akin to þunian to stretch, to thunder, D. donder thunder, G. donner, OHG. donar, Icel. þōrr Thor, L. tonare to thunder, tonitrus thunder, Gr. τόνοσ a stretching, straining, Skr. tan to stretch. √52. See Thin, and cf. Astonish, Detonate, Intone, Thursday, Tone.] 1. The sound which follows a flash of lightning; the report of a discharge of atmospheric electricity.
2. The discharge of electricity; a thunderbolt.
The revenging gods
'Gainst parricides did all their thunders bend. Shak.
3. Any loud noise; as, the thunder of cannon.
4. An alarming or statrling threat or denunciation.
The thunders of the Vatican could no longer strike into the heart of princes. Prescott.
Thunder pumper. (Zoöl.) (a) The croaker (Haploidontus grunniens). (b) The American bittern or stake-driver. — Thunder rod, a lightning rod. — Thunder snake. (Zoöl.) (a) The chicken, or milk, snake. (b) A small reddish ground snake (Carphophis, orCeluta, amœna) native to the Eastern United States; — called also worm snake. — Thunder tube, a fulgurite. See Fulgurite.