bomb

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A weapon that explodes and causes damage.

   The old bomb was found buried near the railway.

2. 2
   verb

   To attack a place with bombs.

   The city was bombed heavily during the war.

3. 3
   noun

   A complete failure, especially a film or product.

   The movie was a box-office bomb.

4. 4
   verb

   (informal) To fail badly, especially a test.

   I totally bombed the maths exam.

From French bombe, from Italian bomba, from Latin bombus (“a booming sound”), from Ancient Greek βόμβος (bómbos, “booming, humming, buzzing”), imitative of the sound itself. Doublet of bombe. Compare boom.

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