SINCE 1828
airburst
noun
air·burst
| \ ˈer-ˌbərst
\
\
variants:
or air burst
Definition of airburst
: the burst of a shell or bomb in the air
Examples of airburst in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There were also airbursts, little bags of materials discreetly hung in the air that look like outdoor aerial fireworks when trigged. — Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, "How an Alabama company made Kiss pyro and fake blood," 28 July 2019 However, space rocks which were smaller than about 40 meters in diameter were more likely to explode in an airburst, posing a different kind of risk to the people below. — Jasper Hamill, Fox News, "7 terrifying ways that asteroids could wipe out life on our planet revealed," 28 June 2018 Cannon and Turret Jaguar has a two-man turret armed with one 40mm CTC cannon that can fire a wide range of options including airburst, armor piercing and HE (High Explosive) ammunition to defeat a large spectrum of threats. — Allison Barrie, Fox News, "Formidable 'Jaguar' recon vehicle revealed, touts powerful cannon and anti-tank missiles," 18 June 2018 If a nuclear bomb exploded in an airburst, around 90% of people would die instantly near the centre of the blast: a roughly 1.9km (1.2-mile) radius for a 300-kiloton (KT) device—the estimated force of the weapon North Korea tested in September. — The Economist, "Thinking the unthinkableHow to increase your chances of surviving a nuclear blast," 18 Jan. 2018 The latest analysis of the bollide that burst over Chelyabinsk, Russia in February suggests that the risk from such airbursts — which occur when friction in our atmosphere heats up a meteor — may be greater than previously thought. — Adam Mann, WIRED, "Russian Meteor Explosion Might Mean Earth Gets Hit More Often Than We Think," 7 Oct. 2013These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'airburst.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on airburst
What made you want to look up airburst? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Musical Words Quiz
-
- Which word describes a musical performance marked by the absence of instrumental accompaniment?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Share airburst
Resources for airburst