detonation

[ det-n-ey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of detonating.
2. an explosion.
3. Machinery. the premature spontaneous burning of a fuel–air mixture in an internal-combustion engine due to the high temperature of air compressed in a cylinder.

Other Words From

• deto·native adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of detonation¹

1670–80; < Medieval Latin dētonātiōn- (stem of dētonātiō ), equivalent to Latin dētonāt ( us ) ( detonate ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

The troops heard “detonations,” the military said, and two soldiers opened fire, stopping a truck that, it turned out, was transporting the migrants.

From Los Angeles Times

Its communications have been sabotaged with the shocking detonations of its pagers and walkie-talkies, and many of its weapons have been destroyed in air strikes.

From BBC

In the days following, Israel staged a two-day wave of detonations with booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah, followed by intensive airstrikes and targeted pursuit of the group’s top leadership.

From Los Angeles Times

That attack came days after the mass detonation of the hand-held communication devices that Hezbollah relied on to evade Israeli spyware.

From Los Angeles Times

Israel’s leaders are jubilant about the progress of the offensive against Hezbollah that started with the detonation of weaponised pagers and radios and moved on to intense and deadly airstrikes.

From BBC

Related Words

• ignition