decimus

fulmen, fulminis neuter

Definition: thunderbolt, disaster, lightning, flash; crushing blow;

Sentence: Feminae quae cum glires/nitedulas videant [velut a fulmine percussae]* assiliant puniendae sunt, quia mures sunt sapientissimi omnium beluarum in terra, etiam magis quam homines (qui sunt tertius sapiens--primus mures, tum delphini, tum homines).

*I do not think that this is a correct usage of a Latin simile....but Latin similes are so hard to understand! Velut is an adverb, but it introduces a clause-ish part. I'm so confused! If anyone knows how this should be, please tell me :)

Women of the sort who jump up as if they were struck by lightening when they see dormice (both are words for dormouse) must be punished, because mice are the smartest of all animals on the earth, even more than humans (who are the 3rd smartest -- first mice, then dolphins, then humans) (if you don't get this, you should read A Hitckhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams).

Synonyms: fulgor, fulgoris m. (lightening, flash, brightness, splendour)

fulgur, fulguris n. (lightening, thunderbolt, splendour)

coruscum, corusci n. (lightening)

Related Words: fulminius (of lightening)

Derivation: Fulgor at least is from fulgeo (to flash, lighten, shine). Fulmen might be from fulmino (to lighten, to threaten).

Also, this word is on page 97 of the AP Vergil Vocab list.