butterfly bomb

noun

1. Military. a small, aerial, antipersonnel bomb with two folding wings that revolve, slowing the rate of descent and arming the fuze.

Word History and Origins

Origin of butterfly bomb¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

That morning I was an antipersonnel mine, a butterfly bomb, unexploded and ticking, and he touched the fuse.

From Literature

Jong said he has come across a surprising variety of bombs and explained in detail one in particular - a “butterfly bomb” that used wing-like attachments to disperse small “bomblets” over a wider area.

From Washington Times

Very quickly Grimsby became "virtually paralysed" and at "an utter standstill" as the butterfly bomb's symbolic and actual power caused people to live in terror.

From The Guardian