bombard

[ verb bom-bahrd, buhm-; noun bom-bahrd ]

verb (used with object)

1. to attack or batter with artillery fire.
2. to attack with bombs.
3. to assail vigorously:

   to bombard the speaker with questions.

   Synonyms: besiege, hound, harass, beset

4. Physics. to direct high energy particles or radiations against:

   to bombard a nucleus.

noun

1. the earliest kind of cannon, originally throwing stone balls.
2. Nautical. bomb ketch.
3. an English leather tankard of the 18th century and earlier, similar to but larger than a blackjack.
4. Obsolete. a leather jug.

bombard

verb

1. to attack with concentrated artillery fire or bombs
2. to attack with vigour and persistence

   the boxer bombarded his opponent with blows to the body

3. to attack verbally, esp with questions

   the journalists bombarded her with questions

4. physics to direct high-energy particles or photons against (atoms, nuclei, etc) esp to produce ions or nuclear transformations

noun

1. an ancient type of cannon that threw stone balls

Derived Forms

• bomˈbardment, noun

Other Words From

• bom·bard·er noun
• bom·bard·ment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bombard¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English (noun), Medieval Latin bombarda “stone-throwing engine” ( Latin bomb(us) “booming noise” + -arda noun suffix); bomb, -ard

Word History and Origins

Origin of bombard¹

C15: from Old French bombarder to pelt, from bombarde stone-throwing cannon, probably from Latin bombus booming sound; see bomb

Example Sentences

Debbie Pollard said McCullough would visit the flower shop she ran and bombard her with food and presents.

From BBC

The Labhost site allowed scammers without technical skills to bombard victims with messages designed to trick them into making payments online.

From BBC

Bringing artillery pieces like howitzers closer to Kharkiv would allow Russian forces to bombard the city more intensely and effectively.

From New York Times

Russia has used the systems, initially designed to shoot down aircraft, to bombard the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, which is just 45 miles from Belgorod.

From New York Times

Israeli has meanwhile continued to bombard other areas of the enclave, with fighting particularly intense in Jabaliya, where Israel believes Hamas is trying to regroup.

From New York Times

Related Words

• barrage
• batter
• besiege
• blast
• blitz
• bomb
• harass
• hound
• open fire
• pester
• strafe