Other forms: storms
A storm is very bad weather with strong wind, heavy rain and sometimes thunder. A bad storm, the storm passed, storm damage.
Named storms are now announced in advance by the national weather services, which was introduced to make warnings easier to follow. On the Beaufort scale, storm force is ten, above gale and below hurricane. Figuratively a storm is a burst of public anger: a storm of protest. Note weather the storm; a storm in a teacup; and take by storm.
1nounstormVery bad weather with strong wind and rain.
“The storm knocked down trees and cut off the power.”
2nounburstA burst of public anger.
“The decision caused a storm of protest across the country.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
storm is severe weather.
Old English storm meant a tempest and also an attack, and both senses ran together for centuries. To take a place by storm keeps the military meaning.
Proto-Indo-European
*(s)twerH- — to agitate, stir up; to propel; to urge on
Proto-Germanic
*sturmaz — storm
Proto-West Germanic
*sturm — storm
Old English
storm — tempest, storm; attack; storm of arrows; disquiet, disturbance, tumult, uproar; onrush, rush
Middle English
storm — disturbed state of the atmosphere; heavy precipitation; battle, conflict; attack
English, today
storm
From Middle English storm (“disturbed state of the atmosphere; heavy precipitation; battle, conflict; attack”)starme, steorm, storem, storme, stourme, strom, from Old English storm (“tempest, storm; attack; storm of arrows; disquiet, disturbance, tumult, uproar; onrush, rush”)steorm, (Northern England) stearm, from Proto-West Germanic sturm (“storm”), from Proto-Germanic sturmaz (“storm”), from Proto-Indo-European (s)twerH- (“to agitate, stir up; to propel; to urge on”). Related to stir. 2
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA