explosion

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the act of exploding or bursting

   the explosion of the firecrackers awoke the children

2. 2
   noun

   a sudden outburst

   an explosion of laughter

3. 3
   noun

   the noise caused by an explosion

   the explosion was heard a mile away

4. 4
   noun

   a sudden great increase

   the population explosion

5. 5
   noun

   A violent release of energy (sometimes mechanical, nuclear, or chemical); an act or instance of exploding.

   A man was injured by an explosion caused by drilling into a missed shot at the Mendota mine above Silver Plume, Colo.

6. 6
   noun

   A sudden, uncontrolled or rapid increase, expansion, or bursting out.

   As with the Lejeuneaceae, this pattern of massive speciation appears to be correlated with the Cretaceous explosion of the angiosperms and the simultaneous creation of a host of new microenvironments, differing in humidity, light intensity, texture, etc.

7. 7
   noun

   a golf shot from a bunker that typically moves sand as well as the golf ball

8. 8
   noun

   the terminal forced release of pressure built up during the occlusive phase of a stop consonant

Etymology

From French explosion, from Latin explōsiōnis, genitive form of explōsio, from explōdo (“to drive out by clapping”), from ex- and plōdo (“to clap or strike”). For more information see explode.