atomic bomb

noun

1

: a bomb whose violent explosive power is due to the sudden release of energy resulting from the splitting of nuclei of a heavy chemical element (such as plutonium or uranium) by neutrons in a very rapid chain reaction

called also atom bomb

2

: a nuclear weapon (such as a hydrogen bomb)

Examples of atomic bomb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Made less than 10 years after the U.S. decimated Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atomic bombs, the original Godzilla is a thoughtful, haunting film, and an outstanding example of how humans use storytelling to process trauma. —Katie Rife, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2024

Millennial Americans have been taught to hate themselves, and Nolan’s Oppenheimer goes back in time to justify that hate, rooting it in the history of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s invention, the atomic bomb. —Armond White, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

atomic bomb

noun

1

: a bomb whose violent explosive power is due to the sudden release of energy resulting from the splitting of nuclei of a heavy chemical element (as plutonium or uranium) by neutrons

called also atom bomb

2

: hydrogen bomb