[ad. L. fulminātiōn-em, n. of action f. fulmināre (see FULMINATE v.).]
1. The bursting forth of thunder and lightning. In quots. only fig.: cf. 4.
1623. Cockeram, Fulmination, thundring.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., 126. Like wicked Outlawes despising the fulmination of divine Anger.
1868. Browning, Ring & Bk., IX. 606. St. Paul … Deplored the check o’ the puny presence, still Cheating his fulmination of its flash.
1869. Goulburn, Purs. Holiness, 96. He beats down with His fulminations the old idols of prejudice.
2. The action of fulminating or detonating; loud explosion.
1667. Henshaw, in Sprat, Hist. R. Soc., 275. The Volatile part that was seperated from it in the fulmination.
1765. Hamilton, in Phil. Trans., LV. 176. Mariotte … calls these bubbles [in boiling water] fulminations.
1794. J. Hutton, Philos. Light, etc., 232. I have considered a still more rapid progress of the burning, or propagation of the fire throughout the decomposing mass; and this forms another species of explosion, which has been termed fulmination.
1885. Syd. Soc. Lex., Fulmination, an explosion with noise, resulting from the sudden decomposition of a chemical substance.
† 3. Metallurgy. (See FULMINATE v. 3.) Obs.
1612. Woodall, The Surgeons Mate, Wks. (1653), 271. Fulmination derived of fulmen a Latin word, signifying fire breaking out of the clouds, causing a sudden light great and bright, is a metallicall gradation, with excoction to an absolute perfection in Cinerition, whose purity is declared by an effulgent splendor.
4. The formal emission of an ecclesiastical condemnation or censure (see FULMINATE v. II). Subsequently with a more general sense: Violent denunciation or threatening; an instance of this, a terrific explosion of indignation.
1502. Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W., 1506), IV. viii. 191. For the twenty fulminacyons that they make at this day comenly.
1532–3. Act 24 Hen. VIII., c. 12 § 3. The sayde fulminacions of any of the same interdictions.
1606. Crt. & Times Jas. I. (1849), I. 63. The present state of that commonwealth, in their protestation against the Pope’s fulmination.
1726. Ayliffe, Parergon, 132. These Fulminations from the Vatican were turn’d into Ridicule.
1809. Knox & Jebb, Corr., I. 556. Gross vice is not, in the first instance, to be encountered with menaces and fulminations.
1845. H. Rogers, Ess., I. iii. 122. Awaiting the fulmination of the bull.
1858. Times, 6 Aug., 11/2. His … generals were more strictly hound down by great fulminations never to attack without permission.
1861. Miss C. Fox, Jrnls., II. 280. John Bright is great fun, always ready for a chat and a fulmination.
