explosive
English
Etymology
From Latin explōs-, stem of the perfect passive participle of explōdō + the suffix -ive.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɛkˈspləʊsɪv/, /ɪkˈspləʊsɪv/
Audio (AU) (file)
Adjective
explosive (comparative more explosive, superlative most explosive)
- With the capability to, or likely to, explode.
- an explosive device
- Having the character of an explosion.
- an explosive fire
- (figurative) Shocking; startling.
- an explosive accusation
- (slang) Easily driven to anger, usually with reference to a person.
- He has an explosive personality.
Derived terms
- explosive belt
- explosive bolt
- explosive cyclogenesis
- explosive decompression
- explosive gelatin
- explosive lens
- explosive sadism
- improvised explosive device
- intermittent explosive disorder
Related terms
- explode
Translations
with the capability to, or likely to, explode
|
having the character of an explosion
|
shocking — see shocking
easily driven to anger
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Noun
explosive (plural explosives)
- Any explosive substance.
- (linguistics, dated) A plosive.
- 1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, Olympia Press:
- The words of these songs were either without meaning, or derived from an idiom with which Watt, a very fair linguist, had no acquaintance. The open a sound was predominant, and the explosives k and g.
-
Derived terms
- contact explosive
- Favier explosive
- high explosive
- low explosive
- plastic explosive
- primary explosive
- secondary explosive
- sila-explosive
- Sprengel explosive
- tertiary explosive
Translations
explosive substance
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French
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Adjective
explosive
- feminine singular of explosif
German
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Adjective
explosive
- inflection of explosiv:
- strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
- strong nominative/accusative plural
- weak nominative all-gender singular
- weak accusative feminine/neuter singular