What is the Latin word for lightning?

The usual Latin words for “lightning” are fulgur, fulmen, fulgetrum; also ictus, iaceō, percutiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“lightning” in Latin

fulgurlightning, a flash of lightning; thunderbolt; brightness, splendor fulmenlightning that strikes or sets on fire; a thunderbolt fulgetrumlightning, heat lightning ictusa beating time, a beat; a beat of the pulse; an attack, shot iaceōto lie prostrate, lie down; recline; to be sick, lie ill; to linger, stop, tarry, remain percutiōto strike, beat; to make an impression on the mind, touch, please, delight, astonish, shock; to kill

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

lightning

fulgur (ἀστραπή, sheet-lightning; for which we sometimes find fulgores, but never the sing., fulgor. Fulgur must be distinguished from fulgetrum or fulgetra = repeated flashes of lightning): fulmen (κεραυνός, forked lightning; a thunder-bolt; for which we find also fulminis jactus or ictus; hence, also, figuratively, i. q., destructive power; e.g., fortunae fulmen): to hurl or cast forth lightning, fulmen emittere, jacere: to be struck with lightning, fulmine ici or percuti; de caelo tangi or percuti; e caelo ici: struck with lightning, fulmine ictus, etc., fulminatus (also, figuratively, as if struck by lightning, Petronius, 80, 7): to be set on fire by lightning, deflagrare ictu fulminis: to be killed by lightning, fulmine exanimari: the lightning struck in the towers, turres fulmine percussae sunt: the lightning touched his litter, lecticam ejus fulgor praestrinxit: concerning lightning, fulguralis (e.g., books, etc.): belonging to lightning, fulmineus (poetically): as quick as lightning, celerrime; cum maxima celeritate.

FIG., of oratory, verborum fulmina; oratio fulgurans ac tonans (after Quint., 2, 16, 19).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for lightning?: The usual Latin words for “lightning” are fulgur, fulmen, fulgetrum; also ictus, iaceō, percutiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.