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

Murphy won an Oscar for his portrayal of atomic bomb inventor J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. —Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2025

Vannevar Bush, an electrical engineer who oversaw military research efforts during World War II, including development of the atomic bomb, had a different idea. —Paul Bierman, The Conversation, 15 May 2025

Trump asserted that Obama’s 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the formal name for the Iran nuclear deal, did not stop Tehran from building an atomic bomb. —Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2025

University research helped American astronauts go to the moon, launched the atomic bomb, and created everything from the microwave and the internet to the billionaires of Silicon Valley. —Ira Porter, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for atomic bomb

• microbiome
• aplomb
• balaam
• cocom
• embalm
• islam
• pogrom
• salaam
• sitcom
• balm
• bom
• calm

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