gust
/ɡʌst
/noun
1A sudden strong rush of wind.As the players went back on to the court there were incredibly strong gusts of wind blowing through the stadium....
- Winds, initially between the North East and South East in direction, are to reach speeds of between 45 and 55 miles per hour with gusts of up to 70 or 80 mph.
- And we've had some wind gusts and squally weather here but nothing has been damaged.
Synonyms
flurry, blast, puff, blow, rush, squall
1.1A sudden burst of something such as rain, sound, or emotion: gusts of rain and snow flurried through the open door...
- It was a bright, breezy day at Ballybunion, with occasional gusts of salty rain, and Garcia made the most of any chances he was given.
- The opera unleashes powerful gusts of physical energy onstage.
- He turned on the heat as high as it would go, and an alarming gust of hot air burst through the broken vents.
Synonyms
outburst, burst, outbreak, gale, effusion, eruption, explosion, storm, surge, peal, howl, hoot, shriek, roar;
fit, paroxysm
verb [no object]
(Of the wind) blow in gusts: the wind was gusting through the branches of the tree...
- The second half of the month was dominated by high winds, which gusted up to 99 mph at Malin Head in the Irish Republic and 82 mph at Edinburgh Airport.
- Winds gusting up to 100 mph hit much of England and Wales, cutting off supplies to two million customers.
- Winds gusting up to 75 mph brought chaos to parts of the north west - but luck was on the side of those who got caught up in the mayhem.
Synonyms
bluster, flurry, blow, blast, roar
Origin
Late 16th century: from Old Norse gustr, related to gjósa 'to gush'.