explosive

explosive
I. adjective Date: 1667 1. a. relating to, characterized by, or operated by explosion <
an explosive hatch
>
b. resulting from or as if from an explosion <
explosive population growth
>
2. a. tending to explode <
an explosive person
>
b. likely to erupt in or produce hostile reaction or violence <
an explosive ghetto situation
>
explosively adverbexplosiveness noun II. noun Date: 1849 1. an explosive substance 2. a consonant characterized by explosion in its articulation when it occurs in certain environments ; stop

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Explosive — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda «Explosive» Canción de Bond Album Explosive: The best of bond Publicación 2004 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Explosive — Ex*plo sive, n. 1. An explosive agent; a compound or mixture susceptible of a rapid chemical reaction, as {gunpowder}, {TNT}, {dynamite}, or {nitro glycerine}. [1913 Webster +PJC] 2. A sound produced by an explosive impulse of the breath;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Explosive — Ex*plo sive, a. [Cf. F. explosif.] Driving or bursting out with violence and noise; causing explosion; as, the explosive force of gunpowder. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • explosive — [adj] volatile, dangerous at the boiling point*, bursting, charged, consequential, convulsive, detonating, detonative, ebullient, eruptive, fiery, forceful, frenzied, fulminant, fulminating, hazardous, impetuous, meteoric, overwrought, perilous,… …   New thesaurus

  • explosive — [ek splō′siv, iksplō′siv] adj. 1. of, causing, or having the nature of, an explosion 2. tending to explode; esp., tending to burst forth noisily 3. likely to explode, as in violence [an explosive situation] 4. Phonet. PLOSIVE n. 1. a substance… …   English World dictionary

  • explosive — index ammunition, bomb, dangerous, disorderly, vehement, volatile Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • explosive — (adj.) 1660s, tending to explode, from L. explos (pp. stem of explodere; see EXPLOSION (Cf. explosion)) + IVE (Cf. ive). As a noun, from 1874 …   Etymology dictionary

  • explosive — ► ADJECTIVE 1) able or likely to explode. 2) likely to cause an eruption of anger or controversy. 3) (of an increase) sudden and dramatic. ► NOUN ▪ a substance which can be made to explode. DERIVATIVES explosively adverb explosivenes …   English terms dictionary

  • explosive — explosively, adv. explosiveness, n. /ik sploh siv/, adj. 1. tending or serving to explode: an explosive temper; Nitroglycerin is an explosive substance. 2. pertaining to or of the nature of an explosion: explosive violence. 3. likely to lead to… …   Universalium

  • explosive — [[t]ɪksplo͟ʊsɪv[/t]] explosives 1) N VAR An explosive is a substance or device that can cause an explosion. ...one hundred and fifty pounds of Semtex explosive... There were traces of explosives in the bedroom. 2) ADJ GRADED Something that is… …   English dictionary

  • explosive — 1 adjective 1 able or likely to explode: At high temperatures this gas is explosive. | explosive device (=a bomb) 2 an explosive situation is violent or dangerous: the explosive atmosphere of the inner cities 3 increasing suddenly or rapidly in… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

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