Word of the Day : July 30, 2018

tempestuous \tem-PESS-chuh-wus\ adjective

Definition

: of, relating to, or resembling a violent storm : turbulent, stormy

Did You Know?

Time is sometimes marked in seasons, and seasons are associated with the weather. This explains how tempus, the Latin word for "time," could have given rise to an English adjective for things turbulent and stormy. Tempus is the root behind Old Latin tempestus, meaning "season," and Late Latin tempestuosus, the direct ancestor of tempestuous. As you might expect, tempus is also the root, by way of the Latin tempestas ("season, weather, or storm"), of the noun tempest. Tempus may also be akin to the Latin verb temperare ("to moderate, mix, or temper"), which made its way through Anglo-French to become the English temper.

Aired July 30, 2018

All Merriam-Webster content is available at www.merriam-webster.com