FIRESTORM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does firestorm mean? 

• FIRESTORM (noun)
  The noun FIRESTORM has 2 senses:

1. a storm in which violent winds are drawn into the column of hot air rising over a severely bombed area

2. an outburst of controversy

  Familiarity information: FIRESTORM used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FIRESTORM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A storm in which violent winds are drawn into the column of hot air rising over a severely bombed area

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Hypernyms ("firestorm" is a kind of...):

storm; violent storm (a violent weather condition with winds 64-72 knots (11 on the Beaufort scale) and precipitation and thunder and lightning)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An outburst of controversy

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Context example:

the incident triggered a political firestorm

Hypernyms ("firestorm" is a kind of...):

arguing; argument; contention; contestation; controversy; disceptation; disputation; tilt (a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement)