storm 
storm (storm), c. [< ME. xtnrmeii, xturmen < 
AS. styrman = D. MLG. LCi. xtornu-H = OHG 
sturman, MHO. G. stiirmi'ii = In-], sfi/rma = 
Sw. stor ma = Dan. stor me, storm; cf. It. nlor- 
mire, make a noise, stnrmcr/i/iun; ring the 
storm-bell, throng together; 'from the noun.] 
1. intrans. 1. To blow with great force ; also, 
to rain, hail, snow, or sleet, especially with 
violence: used impersonally: as, it storms. 
2. To fume ; scold ; rage ; be in a violent agi- 
tation or passion ; raise a tempest. 
The Dolphin then, discrying Land (at last), 
Stormeg with himselfe for hauing made such haste 
Sylvester, tr. of Du Bartas's Weeks, i. 5. 
When ... I see a gentleman lose his money with se- 
renity, I recognise in him all the great qualities of a phi- 
losopher. If he '.stonns and invokes the gods, I lament that 
he is not placed at the head of a regiment. 
Steele, Guardian, No. 174. 
3. To move with violence ; rush angrily or im- 
petuously: as, he stormed about the room. 
Bobby Wick stormed through the tents of his Company. 
R. Kipling, Only a Subaltern. 
II. trans. To attack and attempt to take pos- 
session of, as by scaling walls or forcing gates 
or breaches; assault: as, to storm a fortified 
town : often used figuratively. 
With eager warmth they fight, ambitious all 
Who tlrst shall storm thf breach, or mount the wall. 
Addison, To the King. 
storm-area (storm'a"re-a), it. The area cov- 
ered by a storm ; the region within the closed 
isobars surrounding a center of low pressure. 
5971 
storm-COCk (storm'kok), H. 1. The fleldfan< 
Turduapilarlt; also, the mistlethrush, T. vitei- 
rorus. 
Its song ... it [the missel] begins . . . very early in 
the spring, often with the new year, in blowing showery 
weather, which makes the inhabitants of Hampshire call 
t the storm-cock. Pennant, Brit. Zool. (ed. 177C), I. 802. 
2 The green woodpecker. <;,n,n<s riridis. 
[Prov. Eng. in all uses.] 
storm-compass (storm'kum"pan), n. Same as 
xtortn-rtn'd, 
Storm-COne (storm'kon), H. A cone consisting 
of tarred canvas extended on a frame 3 feet 
high and 3 feet wide at the base, used either 
i-signal. 
produced by the force of the wind 
I" sto . rm - Su . ch current frequently outruns its gen- 
._ current or by changing its set. 
Storm-door (storm'dor), n. An outer or addi- 
tional door for protection against inclement 
weather: in general used temporarily, for the 
winter only. 
Storm-drum (st&rm'drum), . A cylinder of 
tarred canvas extended on a hoop 3 feet high 
and 3 feet wide, hoisted in conjunction with the 
cone as a storm-signal. See storm-signal. [Eng.] 
Stormer (st6r'mer), n. [< storm + -erl.] One 
English Storm-signal, indicat- 
"B dangerous winds from the 
ho s to -'' 
ucally (mt 
ulting party. 
t.), a member of 
north 60 east. Over the ocean storm-areas are generally 
nearly circular. 
storm-beat, storm-beaten (storm'bet, -be'tn), 
a. Beaten or damaged by storms. 
Storm-belt (storm'belt), n. A belt of maximum 
storm-frequency. On charts containing a large num- 
ber of storm-tracks the paths are found to be mostly di- 
vided into several well-defined groups whose loci form 
natural storm-belts. In the United States three storm- 
belts are distinguished : (1) that of storms which appear 
in the northwest British provinces, advance eastward to 
the lake region, and thence down the St. Lawrence valley ; 
(2) that of storms which originate in the southwest near 
the Gulf of Mexico, and move northeastward to the lakes ; 
(3) that of the West India hurricanes, which first move 
westerly, and then northeastward along the Atlantic coast 
Over Europe three storm-belts may be distinguished : one 
lying across the northern Mediterranean, one across the 
North Sea and the Baltic, and one northeast and south- 
west off the coast of Norway and the British Isles. Also 
called storm-zone. 
storm-bird (storm'berd), n. 1. A petrel; one 
of the birds of the family Procellariidse, includ- 
ing the albatrosses, fulmars, etc., as well as 
monly applied ; specifically, the stormy petrel. 
stomful g f&mf \r- 
4J r ( sto . tul )- 
Abounding with storms. 
r "f, i 
+ -ful.] 
They know what spirit brews the stormfttl day. 
Collins, Ode on the Popular Superstitions of the Highlands. 
stormfulness (st6rm'ful-nes), n. The state of 
being stormful ; stormy character or condition. 
Coleridge. 
storm-glass (stdrm'glas), n. A hermetically 
sealed tube containing an alcoholic solution of 
camphor, together with crystals of nitrate of pot- 
ash and ammonium chlorid : so named because 
an increase in the amount of the precipitate was 
supposed to indicate the approach of stormy 
weather. The changes in the amount of the precipitate 
are due solely to variations of temperature, and the instru- 
ment is simply a chemical thermoscope. 
Storm-house (st6rm'hous), . A temporary- 
shelter for men employed in constructing or 
guarding railroads, or other works in exposed 
situations. 
adv. In a stormy man- 
stornello 
storm-signal (st6rm'sig"nal), ;i. A signal dis- 
played on sea-coasts and lake-shore* for indi- 
cating the expected prevalence of high winds 
or storms. For this pur- 
pose flas uinl lanterni are 
iHni iuthi'l mtolstates,and 
a cone and drum in m.-it 
Britain. In the prarijrr <.t 
the Tiiiteil States Wmthi'i 
Damn a red (lag with black 
center is displayed by day 
when a violent storm is ex- 
pected, and an additional 
pennant indiratt-s the quad- 
rant of the probable wind di- 
rection, as follows : red pen- 
n.-Mii .-iln.ve llaj.', northeaster- 
ly winds; red pennant below 
flag, southeasterly uimls; 
white pennant abovt- flatr, 
northwesterly winda; whjti: 
pennant below flag, south- 
westerly winds. By night, a 
red light indicates easterly 
winds, and a white light 
above a red light indicates 
westerly winds. In the Brit- 
ish system the Inverted cone 
indicates a south gale, the 
upright cone a north gale, 
while the addition of the drum indicates that the winds are 
expected to be of marked violence. See weather-siynal. 
storm-stay (storm'sta), n. A stay on which a 
storm-sail is set. 
storm-stayed (stdrm'stad), a. Prevented from 
proceeding on, or interrupted in the course of, 
a journey or voyage by storms or stress of 
weather. 
storm-stone (storm'ston), n. Same as thunder' 
bolt. 
storm-tossed (storm'tost), a. Tossed about by 
storm or tempest: as, a storm-tossed bark; 
hence, agitated by conflicting passions or emo- 
tions: as, his storm-tossed spirit is at rest, 
storm-track (stdrm'trak), n. The path trav- 
ersed by the center of a cyclonic storm. North 
of the parallel of 80 storm-tracks almost invariably pur- 
sue an easterly course, having generally a northerly in- 
clination. Within the tropics storm-tracks almost inva- 
riably tend westerly, generally with an inclination toward 
the pole ; they have rarely, if ever, been traced nearer to 
the equator than 6. Continuous storm-tracks are some- 
times traced across North America, the Atlantic ocean, 
and Europe ; but in general less than 12 per cent, of the 
storms leaving America reach the European coast. 
Storm-wind (storm'wind), n. The wind or 
blast of a storm or tempest; a hurricane ; also, 
a wind that brings a storm. 
Then comes, with an awful roar, 
Gathering and sounding on, 
The storm-icind from Labrador, 
The wind Euroclydon, 
The storm-mnd ! 
as a storm-cock. Compare rain- 
bird. 
storm-bound (storm'bound), a. Confined or 
delayed by storms; relating to hindrance by 
storms: as, we were storm-bound in port. 
Weeks of storm-bound inactivity. 
Carlyle, To John Carlyle, Feb. 11, 1830. 
Storm-card (stdrm'kard), n. A transparent 
card containing lines to represent the wind- 
directions in all quarters of a cyclonic storm : 
devised by Eeid as an aid to seamen in avoid- 
ing dangerous storms. When the card is drawn to 
-nes , . The state of being 
! being agitated or visited 
tempestuou8ness; 
in'do), n. 1. An outer 
to protect the inner. from inclemency 
A * Aow ra8ed frora " 
wind-direction on the card are brought into coincidence, 
the bearing of the center of the card from the point of 
observation indicates the direction of the center of the 
storm. Knowing the direction of the storm-center, its 
probable path can be laid down with considerable pre- 
cision, and the best course for the vessel may then be de- 
termined. It is now known that a storm-card cannot uni- 
versally be used to discover the bearing of a storm-center, 
for the angle between the wind and the radius varies in 
different latitudes, and is different at different distances 
from the center. Also called storm-circle, storm-compass. 
Storm-center (st6rm'sen"ter), n. The position 
of lowest pressure in a cyclonic storm, in the 
typical case the wind throughout the storm-area blows 
spirally inward toward the storm-center, changing from 
a radial to an approximately circular path, and increasing 
in force as the center is approached. The center itself 
is an area of comparative calm, accompanied by a partial 
or complete clearing away of the clouds, and a mild tem- 
perature. (See eye of a storm, under storm.) Violent ocean 
storms frequently exemplify this typical description ; but 
in land storms, which present Irregularities of all kinds, 
these conditions are In general only partially realized. 
Storm-circle (st6rm'ser"kl), n. Same as storm- 
card. 
Storm-cloud (stdrm'kloud), . A cloud that 
brings or threatens storm. 
Storming-party (stor'ming-par'ti). n. Milit., 
the party to whom is assigned the duty of mak- 
ing the first assault in storming an enemy's 
works. 
Storm-kite (storm'kit), n. A device, on the 
principle of a kite, for carrying a rope from a 
ship to the shore in a storm. 
stormless (storm'les), a. [< storm + -less.] 
Free from storms; without storm. 
Our waking thoughts 
Suffer a stormless shipwreck in the pools 
Of sullen slumber. Tennyson, Harold, v. 1. 
Storm-pane (storm'pan), u. An extra square 
of glass fitted in a frame provided with clamps, 
used to fit over a window in an exposed build- 
ing, as a lighthouse, in case of breakage. 
storm-path (storm'path), ii. Same as storm- 
track. 
storm-pavement (st6rm'pav"meut), w. In hy- 
draul. engin., a sloping stone pavement lining 
the sea-face of a pier or breakwater. E. H. 
Knight. 
Storm-petrel (st6rm'pet' / rel), . A small black- 
ish petrel, belonging to the genus Procellaria 
as now restricted, or to one of a few closely 
related genera, as Occanites, Cymochorea, and 
Halocyptena. The three best-known storm-petrels are 
ProceUaria pelagica, Cymochorea leucorrhoa, and Oceanites 
oceanicus. All are also called Mother Carey's chickens. 
See cut under petrel. The form stormy petrel is also com- 
mon. 
storm-proof (storm'prOf), . Proof against 
storms or stress of weather. 
storm-sail (stdrm'sal), . A sail made of very 
stout canvas, of smaller size than the corre- 
sponding sail in ordinary use, set in squally 
or heavy weather. 
mig (= 1). Sw. stormig = MHG. sturmic, G. stiir- 
mig), < storm, storm: see storm.] 1. Charac- 
terized by storm or tempest, or by high winds ; 
tempestuous; boisterous: as, a stormy season. 
No cloudy show of stormy blustering weather 
Doth yet in his fair welkin once appear. 
Shak., Lucrece, I. 115. 
His trumpet has often been heard by the neighbors, of 
a stormy night, mingling with the howling of the blast. 
Irving, Knickerbocker, p. 448. 
2. Characterized by violent disturbances or 
contentions; agitated; turbulent. 
For love is yet the moste stormy lyf , 
Right of hymself, that ever was begonne. 
Chaucer, Troilus, ii. 778. 
His [Warren Hastings's] administration, so eventful and 
stormy, closed In almost perfect quiet. 
Macaulay, Warren Hastings. 
3. Violent; passionate; easily roused to anger 
or strife. 
The lives of all your loving complices 
Lean on your health ; the which, if you give o'er 
To stormy passion, must perforce decay. 
Shak., 2 Hen. IV., I. i. 166. 
The stormy chiefs of a desert but extensive domain. 
Scott. 
4. Associated with storms, as seen in them or 
supposed to presage them : specifically, in or- 
nithology, noting certain petrels Stormy pet- 
rel. Same as storm-petrel. = Syn. 1. Windy, gusty, squally, 
blustering. See wind?. 
Storm-zone (stdrm'zon), . Same as storm-belt. 
The regions between 40 and 70 latitude are the great 
storm zones of the world. 
R. Hinman, Eclectic Physical Geography, p. 94. 
Stornello(st6r-neri6), .; pl.storne/7(-li). [It.] 
A form of Italian folk-song, usually improvised 
and either sentimental or satirical. 
