explosive

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English

Etymology

From Latin explōs-, stem of the perfect passive participle of explōdō + the suffix -ive.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɛkˈspləʊsɪv/, /ɪkˈspləʊsɪv/
  • Audio (AU)(file)

Adjective

explosive (comparative more explosive, superlative most explosive)

  1. With the capability to, or likely to, explode.
    an explosive device
  2. Having the character of an explosion.
    an explosive fire
    1. (cellular automata) Of a specific cellular automaton rule, tending to exhibit infinite and unpredictable growth when starting from finite random patterns.
      • 1992 June 2, Dave Boll, “Variations on Conway's LIFE”, in comp.theory.cell-automata‎ (Usenet):
        Notes: A rule set that (very probably) results in explosive growth; certainly in area if not population.
      • 1994 April 4, Robert Andreen, “CA rules”, in comp.theory.cell-automata‎ (Usenet):
        For example, putting a 1 at (0: 1,1) will cause explosive growth in all directions, putting a 1 at (0: 0,2A) will cause pairs of diagonal cells in a 2x2 square to alternate on and off, putting a 1 at (1: 4,4) will cause all solid 1 areas to stay 1 for another cycle, etc.
      • 2003 May 12, Ilmari Karonen, “Gliders in 4-neighbor semitotalistic 2D cellular automata”, in comp.theory.cell-automata‎ (Usenet):
        If the rule is further chosen so that active cells can (and must) expand on an inactive background but inactive cells can't do so on an active background (or vice versa), then non-explosive growth becomes possible.
  3. (figurative) Shocking; startling.
    an explosive accusation
  4. (slang) Easily driven to anger, usually with reference to a person.
    He has an explosive personality.
  5. (phonetics, archaic) Synonym of plosive
    the explosive consonants

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

shocking — see shocking

Noun

explosive (plural explosives)

  1. Any explosive substance.
  2. (linguistics, dated) A plosive.
    • 1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Grove Press, published 1959, →OCLC:
      The words of these songs were either without meaning, or derived from an idiom with which Watt, a very fair linguist, had no acquaintance. The open a sound was predominant, and the explosives k and g.

Derived terms

Translations

French

Pronunciation

Adjective

explosive

  1. feminine singular of explosif

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

explosive

  1. inflection of explosiv:
    1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
    2. strong nominative/accusative plural
    3. weak nominative all-gender singular
    4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Swedish

Adjective

explosive

  1. definite natural masculine singular of explosiv
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