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

There is also a large nuclear center outside Isfahan that oversees a number of activities for the nuclear program, including the production of centrifuge parts and uranium metal, which can be used to build the core of an atomic bomb. —Abigail Williams, NBC News, 3 Oct. 2024

From the bow and arrow to the atomic bomb, war has always been a key driver of technological advancement. —Bernard Marr, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024

The most advanced of these missiles weigh around eighty thousand pounds and carry several thermonuclear warheads, each of which can generate an explosion many times larger than that of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. —Ben Taub, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024

Some 650,000 people survived the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Oct. 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