Atom bomb
.
to bomb (a target) with an atomic bomb.
to atom-bomb a target.
a bomb whose potency is derived from nuclear fission of atoms of fissionable material with the consequent conversion of part of their mass into energy.
a bomb whose explosive force comes from a chain reaction based on nuclear fission in U-235 or plutonium.
Contemporary Examples
“The most frightening thing in the 1950s was the atom bomb,” film scholar Katherine Orrison explained.
It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Moses! Bruce Feiler October 4, 2009
And those examples are a molecule in the atom bomb of the Internet.
Pro Sports’ Hero Deficit Buzz Bissinger July 5, 2011
Of course, an atom bomb is about to drop on American Idol: Simon Cowell will leave at the end of this season.
The Next Simon Cowell Is… Richard Rushfield May 11, 2010
Releasing a new issue was like dropping an atom bomb on the industry.
It Was All a Dream: Drama, Bullshit, and the Rebirth of The Source Magazine Alex Suskind October 13, 2014
Historical Examples
It has become the old problem once presented by the atom bomb.
The Time Traders Andre Norton
No more tricks like the phony colonel and the atom bomb that didn’t ‘explode.
Space Platform Murray Leinster
Whatever the fire was, it was a defense against the atom bomb, for it exploded them before they could reach their targets.
Of Stegner’s Folly Richard S. Shaver
An atom bomb would destroy aliens and their ship together—and we want the ship.
Operation Terror William Fitzgerald Jenkins
In a way, if an atom bomb had to be used to destroy them, they would have succeeded.
Operation Terror William Fitzgerald Jenkins
For man had discovered in the atom bomb a weapon which proved to be the agency of his destruction.
Once Upon A Planet J. J. Allerton
noun
a type of bomb in which the energy is provided by nuclear fission. Uranium-235 and plutonium-239 are the isotopes most commonly used in atomic bombs Also called A-bomb, fission bomb Compare fusion bomb
atomic bomb
A very destructive bomb that derives its explosive power from the fission of atomic nuclei. Atomic bombs usually have plutonium 239 or uranium 235 as their fissionable material. Also called atom bomb.
atomic bomb (A-bomb)
A nuclear weapon whose enormous explosive power results from the sudden release of energy from a fission reaction. (See also Hiroshima, hydrogen bomb, Nagasaki, and Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT].)
A bomb that is powered by nuclear fission, and therefore produces a quick release of energy and great destruction.
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