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explosive

 - 4 dictionary results

ex⋅plo⋅sive

  [ik-sploh-siv]
Use explosive in a Sentence
–adjective
1. tending or serving to explode: an explosive temper; Nitroglycerin is an explosive substance.
2. pertaining to or of the nature of an explosion: explosive violence.
3. likely to lead to violence or hostility: an explosive issue.
4. Phonetics. plosive.
–noun
5. an explosive agent or substance, as dynamite.
6. Phonetics. plosive.
Origin:
1660–70; explos(ion) + -ive

Related forms:
ex⋅plo⋅sive⋅ly, adverb
ex⋅plo⋅sive⋅ness, noun

plo⋅sive

  [ploh-siv] Phonetics
–adjective
1. (of a stop consonant or occlusive) characterized by release in a plosion; explosive.
–noun
2. Also called explosive. a plosive speech sound.
Origin:
1895–1900; shortened form of explosive
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To explosive
ex·plo·sive   (ĭk-splō'sĭv)   
adj.  

  1. Relating to or having the nature of an explosion.

  2. Tending to explode.

n.  

  1. A substance, especially a prepared chemical, that explodes or causes explosion.

  2. Linguistics A plosive.

ex·plo'sive·ly adv., ex·plo'sive·ness n.
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

plosive 
"type of consonantal sound," 1899, from (ex)plosive (q.v.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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