Fulminate
Etymology
From Latin fulminare, "to hurl lightning, strike with a thunderbolt," from fulmen (stem fulmin-), "lightning," related to fulgere, "to flash, shine." It was first used of the Church issuing crushing formal condemnations — thundering them down like bolts. The sense broadened to any loud, wrathful denunciation.
verb · /FUL-mih-nayt/
To protest or denounce something loudly and vehemently.
What it names
The word for thundering against something — a furious, sustained verbal assault that seems to crackle with outrage.
Example
The columnist fulminated against the new rules for a full page, though he never said what he would do instead.
Related idea
Inveigh is a close cousin, but fulminate keeps the flash of the thunderbolt — a more explosive, wrathful outburst.
noun · /FUL-mih-nayt/
A salt or ester of fulminic acid — a compound so unstable that a slight shock sets it off, used to trigger a larger explosion.
What it names
the sensitive priming charge in detonators and percussion caps, most famously mercury fulminate
Example
A pinch of mercury fulminate in the cap detonates the main charge.
Related idea
The chemist’s fulminate and the orator’s fulminating share a Latin root meaning to strike with lightning; both name a sudden violent burst — a cascade set off by one trigger.