Fulgurate
/ˈfʊl.ɡjəˌreɪt/noun
To flash or blaze like lightning; also, in medicine, to destroy tissue with a brief electric spark.
Did you know?It comes from Latin *fulgur* (“lightning”), the same ancient sky-word behind *effulgent* and *conflagration*’s fiery cousin roots, making it one of English’s most electrically charged learned verbs.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰelgʷ-
“to flash, blaze, or shine”
Latin
Latin
fulgur
“lightning, a lightning bolt”
Latin
Latin
fulgurāre
“to flash like lightning; to strike with lightning”
Late Middle English / Early Modern English
English
fulgurate
“to flash or gleam like lightning”
Modern English
English
fulgurate
“to emit flashes of light; to destroy tissue with an electric spark”
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