Definition of gust
2
: keen delight
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gust Beyond Wind
You're no doubt familiar with the simple gust that means "a brief burst of wind." At least a century and a half before that word first appeared in print in the late 16th century, however, a differently derived homograph came on the scene. The windy gust is probably derived from an Old Norse word gustr, whereas our older featured word (which is now considerably rarer than its look-alike) comes to us through Middle English from gustus, the Latin word for "taste." Gustus gave English another word as well. Gusto (which now usually means "zest" but can also mean "an individual or specific taste") comes to us from gustus by way of Italian.
Origin and Etymology of gust
Middle English guste, from Latin gustus; akin to Latin gustare to taste — more at choose
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: 15th century
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same yearOrigin and Etymology of gust
probably from Old Norse gustr; akin to Old High German gussa flood, and perhaps to Old English gēotan to pour — more at found
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: 1594
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same yearDefinition of gust
Examples of gust in a Sentence
The forecast calls for winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour.
First Known Use of gust
1813
GUST Defined for English Language Learners
gust
Definition of gust for English Language Learners
-
of wind : to blow strongly for a short time : to blow in gusts
GUST Defined for Kids
noun
\
ˈgəst
\
Definition of gust for Students
1
: a sudden brief rush of wind
2
: a sudden outburst
- a gust of laughter
Learn More about gust
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See words that rhyme with gust Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gust Spanish Central: Translation of gust Nglish: Translation of gust for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of gust for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gust
Seen and Heard
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