Hypertext Webster Gateway: "explosion"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Explosion \Ex*plo"sion\, n. [L. explosio a driving off by
clapping: cf. F. explosion explosion. See {Explode}.]
1. The act of exploding; detonation; a chemical action which
causes the sudden formation of a great volume of expanded
gas; as, the explosion of gunpowder, of fire damp,etc.
2. A bursting with violence and loud noise, because of
internal pressure; as, the explosion of a gun, a bomb, a
steam boiler, etc.
3. A violent outburst of feeling, manifested by excited
language, action, etc.; as, an explosion of wrath.
A formidable explosion of high-church fanaticism.
--Macaulay.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
explosion
n 1: a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear
reaction [syn: {detonation}]
2: the act of exploding or bursting something; "the explosion
of the firecrackers awoke the children"; "the burst of an
atom bomb creates enormous radiation aloft" [syn: {burst}]
3: the terminal forced release of pressure built up during the
occlusive phase of a stop consonant [syn: {plosion}]
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