bomb

 
Pronunciation: /bɒm/

noun

  • 1a container filled with explosive or incendiary material, designed to explode on impact or when detonated by a timing, proximity, or remote-control device: [as modifier]: a bomb attack
  • [with modifier] an explosive device fitted into a specified object: a 100 lb van bomb
  • (the bomb) nuclear weapons considered collectively as agents of mass destruction: she joined the fight against the bomb
  • 2a thing resembling a bomb in shape, in particular:
  • (also volcanic bomb) a lump of lava thrown out by a volcano.
  • a pear-shaped weight used to anchor a fishing line to the bottom.
  • 3 (a bomb) British informal a large sum of money: that silk must have cost a bomb
  • 4 informal a film, play, or other event that fails badly: that bomb of an old movie
  • 5 (the (or da) bomb) US informal an outstandingly good person or thing: the site would really be da bomb if its content were updated more frequently
  • 6a long forward pass or hit in a ball game: a two-run bomb
  • 7 informal a cannabis cigarette.

verb

  • 1 [with object] attack (a place or object) with a bomb or bombs: they bombed the city at dawn
  • (bomb someone out) make someone homeless by destroying their home with bombs: my family were bombed out while I was fighting
  • 2 [no object, with adverbial of direction] British informal move very quickly: we were bombing down the motorway at breakneck speed
  • 3 [no object] informal (of a film, play, or other event) fail badly: it just became another big-budget film that bombed

Phrases

go down a bomb

British informal be very well received: those gigs we did went down a bomb

go like a bomb

British informal
  • 1be very successful: the party went like a bomb
  • 2(of a vehicle or person) move very fast.

look like a bomb's hit it

informal (of a place) be extremely messy or untidy in appearance: the room looked like a bomb had hit it

Derivatives

bomblet

noun

Origin:

late 17th century: from French bombe, from Italian bomba, probably from Latin bombus 'booming, humming', from Greek bombos, of imitative origin