See Also: bomb(2)(dictionary)
car bomb(dictionary)
A-bomb(dictionary)
bomb(1)(dictionary)
The Bomb(finance)
H-bomb(dictionary)
Bomb(medicine)
bomb(encyclopedia)
dive-bomb(dictionary)
cluster bomb(dictionary)

bomb(1) (iou)



bomb noun. L16.
[French bombe from Italian bomba prob. from Latin bombus from Greek bombos booming, humming, of imit. origin.]
bomb of fire [translating Spanish bomba de fuego], a fireball (weapon). Only in L16.
Orig., an explosive projectile fired from a mortar. Now, a container filled with high explosive or incendiary material, smoke, poison gas, etc., or a body of high explosive etc., which may be dropped from an aircraft, fired from a gun, thrown, or deposited manually, and is exploded in various ways. L17.
atomic bomb, buzz-bomb, hydrogen bomb, incendiary bomb, Mills bomb, nuclear bomb, plastic bomb, smoke bomb, Stokes bomb, time bomb, etc.
Hist. In full bomb-ketch, bomb-vessel, etc. A small naval vessel equipped with one or more mortars for throwing bombs. L17.
More fully volcanic bomb, lava bomb. A rounded mass of lava thrown out of a volcano. L18.
An airtight vessel used to conduct scientific experiments under pressure. E20.
A large sum of money. slang. M20.
An old road vehicle. Austral. & NZ slang. M20.
A marijuana cigarette. slang. M20.
Amer. Football. A long pass or kick. M20.
Phrases: go down a bomb colloq. be a great success. like a bomb colloq. at great speed; very successfully. the bomb the atomic or hydrogen bomb as the supreme weapon.
Comb.: bomb bay a compartment in an aircraft for holding bombs; bomb calorimeter a thick-walled steel container used in experiments to determine the energy contained in a substance by measuring the heat generated during its combustion; bomb disposal the defusing, or removal and detonation, of unexploded and delayed-action bombs; bomb factory a factory or other place where bombs are made, esp. illegally by terrorists; bomb-happy adjective (colloq.) shell-shocked; bomb-ketch: see sense 3 above; bombproof adjective & noun (a) adjective able to resist attack by bombs; US not exposed to the dangers of war; (b) noun a bombproof shelter; US = bombproofer below; bombproofer US a person who avoids exposure to the dangers of war; bombshell an artillery shell; fig. a devastating or shattering act, event, etc. (blond bombshell, blonde bombshell, a fair-haired person, esp. a woman, regarded as having a startling physique or good looks); bomb-sight a device used in an aircraft for aiming bombs; bomb-site an area where buildings have been destroyed by bombing; bomb squad a division of a police force appointed to investigate the planting and exploding of terrorist bombs; bomb-vessel: see sense 3 above.
bomblet noun a small bomb M20.