gust

¹

[ guhst ]

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.

verb (used without object)

1. to blow or rush in gusts.

gust

²

[ guhst ]

noun

1. Archaic. flavor or taste.
2. Obsolete. enjoyment or gratification.

verb (used with object)

1. Scot. to taste; savor.

gust

/ ɡʌst /

noun

1. a sudden blast of wind
2. a sudden rush of smoke, sound, etc
3. an outburst of emotion

verb

1. to blow in gusts

   the wind was gusting to more than 50 mph

Other Words From

• gustless adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of gust¹

C16: from Old Norse gustr; related to gjōsa to gush ; see geyser

Synonym Study

See wind ¹.

Example Sentences

Wind gusts could bring power outages, downed trees and high surf along the coastline, the US weather agency said, which issued a "high risk excessive rainfall outlook" for northwest California.

From BBC

On the morning the Mountain fire erupted, wind gusts were so strong in Somis that several of the sturdy wooden boxes that housed Eduardo Flores’s bee colonies had already blown over.

From Los Angeles Times

Friday with gusts of up to 45 mph sweeping through the region, according to the weather service.

From Los Angeles Times

In Madera, officials recorded a gust of 49 mph, which is unusual for a Central Valley location, Wilson said.

From Los Angeles Times

Their corner of Ventura County was battered by powerful Santa Ana winds every fall, and those gusts stoked fires that came close but never swept into their hillside community.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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