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detonation

 - 3 dictionary results

det⋅o⋅na⋅tion

  [det-n-ey-shuhn]
Use detonation in a Sentence
–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.
Origin:
1670–80; < ML dētonātiōn- (s. of dētonātiō), equiv. to L dētonāt(us) (see detonate ) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms:
det⋅o⋅na⋅tive, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To detonation
det·o·na·tion   (dět'n-ā'shən)   
n.  

  1. The act of exploding.

  2. An explosion.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

detonation 
1677, "explosion accompanied by loud sound," from Fr. détonation, from M.L. detonationem, from L. detonare "to release one's thunder, roar out," from de- "down" + tonare "to thunder" (see thunder). Sense of "act of causing to explode" (mid-18c.) developed in Fr.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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