depth charge

noun

Updated on: 17 Mar 2018

Definition of depth charge

: an antisubmarine weapon that consists essentially of a drum filled with explosives which is dropped near a target and descends to a predetermined depth where it explodes — called also depth bomb

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Recent Examples of depth charge from the Web

That trend pushed nuclear depth charges out of the inventories of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China navies that developed them.

— joe pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "What Putin Would Nuke," 5 Mar. 2018
Bombs dropped in practice rounds off North Carolina's coast during World War II have washed ashore, and the near sea floor is littered with bombs and depth charges as a result of submarine warfare.

— alex horton, Washington Post, "How a 1,000-pound WWII bomb was pulled out of the ground without exploding," 1 Feb. 2018
The effect of one in this drink is substantial, a stealthy allium depth charge that lends a vaguely roasty, vegetal note and that rides atop the gin’s natural botanicals for a crystal-cold wave of savory flavors.

— craig laban, Philly.com, "This Gibson offers a sip of elegance, craftsmanship, and history," 31 Jan. 2018
Unable to make contact with Moscow for several days, Savitsky had not been notified of the United States’ intent to employ practice depth charges as part of its Cuban blockade.

— yasmeen serhan, The Atlantic, "When the World Lucked Out of a Nuclear War," 31 Oct. 2017
The sub was pinned in close to shore as destroyers and other ships dropped depth charges.

— peter eisner, Smithsonian, "Without Chick Parsons, General MacArthur May Never Have Made His Famed Return to the Philippines," 29 Sep. 2017
But Strong is content to walk us through the paces of Salinger’s troubled ascendancy without igniting any depth charges.

— peter rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, "J.D. Salinger biopic 'Rebel in the Rye' falls back on banalities," 8 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'depth charge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of depth charge

1917

DEPTH CHARGE Defined for English Language Learners

depth charge

noun

Definition of depth charge for English Language Learners

: a bomb that is made to explode under water at a particular depth in order to destroy submarines

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depth charge

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