gust

¹ American  

[guhst] / gʌst /

noun

1. a sudden, strong blast of wind.

2. a sudden rush or burst of water, fire, smoke, sound, etc.

3. an outburst of passionate feeling.

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verb (used without object)

1. to blow or rush in gusts.

gust ² American  

[guhst] / gʌst /

noun

1. Archaic. flavor or taste.

2. Obsolete. enjoyment or gratification.

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verb (used with object)

1. Scot. to taste; savor.

gust British  

/ ɡʌst /

noun

1. a sudden blast of wind

2. a sudden rush of smoke, sound, etc

3. an outburst of emotion

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verb

1. to blow in gusts

   the wind was gusting to more than 50 mph

Related Words

See wind ¹.

Other Word Forms

• gustable adjective
• gustless adjective

Etymology

Origin of gust¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Old Norse gustr “a gust,” akin to gjōsa, gusa “to gust”

Origin of gust²

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin gustus a tasting (of food), eating a little, akin to gustāre to taste

Example Sentences

When a gust yanks the handle out of her grasp, she decides to batten down the hatches, latching it behind her and inspecting her surroundings via phone flashlight.

From Literature

It blew in great, roaring gusts, then abruptly died, leaving an empty space that echoed with the most disturbing sound: a far-off moaning, as if the woods were trying to tell Clare something.

From Literature

Yes, along with the loss comes a predictable gust of Schadenfreude from the Duke-despising public.

From The Wall Street Journal

On Friday, temperatures are expected to warm up to the mid-60s to the lower 70s for the Sierra communities, with gusts up to 25 mph, according to the weather service.

From Los Angeles Times

The category four system was forecast to bring "destructive wind gusts and heavy rainfall" to some coastal areas, the bureau said.

From Barron's

Related Words

• blast
• breeze
• burst
• explosion
• flurry
• gale
• squall
• storm