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Webster 1913 Edition

Tempest

Tem′pest

,
Noun.
[OF.
tempeste
, F.
tempête
, (assumed) LL.
tempesta
, fr. L.
tempestas
a portion of time, a season, weather, storm, akin to
tempus
time. See
Temporal
of time.]
1.
An extensive current of wind, rushing with great velocity and violence, and commonly attended with rain, hail, or snow; a furious storm.
[We] caught in a fiery
tempest
, shall be hurled,
Each on his rock transfixed.
Milton.
2.
Fig.: Any violent tumult or commotion;
as, a political
tempest
; a
tempest
of war, or of the passions
.
3.
A fashionable assembly; a drum. See the Note under
Drum
,
Noun.
, 4.
[Archaic]
Smollett.
☞
Tempest
is sometimes used in the formation of self-explaining compounds;
as,
tempest
-beaten,
tempest
-loving,
tempest
-tossed,
tempest
-winged, and the like
.
Syn. – Storm; agitation; perturbation. See
Storm
.

Tem′pest

,
Verb.
T.
[Cf. OF.
tempester
, F.
tempêter
to rage.]
To disturb as by a tempest.
[Obs.]
Part huge of bulk
Wallowing unwieldy, enormous in their gait,
Tempest
the ocean.
Milton.

Tem′pest

,
Verb.
I.
To storm.
[Obs.]
B. Jonson.

Webster 1828 Edition

Tempest

TEM'PEST

,
Noun.
[L. tempestas; tempus, time, season. The primary sense of tempus, time, is a falling, or that which falls, comes or happens, from some verb which signifies to fall or come suddenly, or rather to drive, to rush. Time is properly a coming, a season, that which presents itself, or is present. The sense of tempest, is from the sense of rushing or driving. See Temerity and Temerarious.
1.
An extensive current of wind, rushing with great velocity and violence; a storm of extreme violence. We usually apply the word to a steady wind of long continuance; but we say also of a tornado, it blew a tempest. The currents of wind are named, according to their respective degrees of force or rapidity, a breeze, a gale, a storm, a tempest; but gale is also used as synonymous with storm, and storm with tempest. Gust is usually applied to a sudden blast of short duration. A tempest may or may not be attended with rain, snow or hail.
We, caught in a fiery tempest,shall be hurl'd
Each on his rock transfix'd--
2.
A violent tumult or commotion; as a popular or political tempest; the tempest of war.
3.
Perturbation; violent agitation; as a tempest of the
passions.

TEM'PEST

,
Verb.
T.
To disturb as by a tempest of the passions. [Little used.]

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