atomic bomb

American  

[uh-tom-ik bom] / əˈtɒm ɪk ˌbɒm /

Also atom bomb

noun

• atomic bombs
  plural

1. 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.

2. a bomb whose explosive force comes from a chain reaction based on nuclear fission in U-235 or plutonium.

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atomic bomb British  

noun

1. Also called: A-bomb.   fission bomb.  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 Compare fusion bomb

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atomic bomb Scientific  

1. 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.

2. Also called atom bomb

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atomic bomb ¹ Cultural  

1. A bomb that is powered by nuclear fission, and therefore produces a quick release of energy and great destruction.

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atomic bomb ² Cultural  

1. A nuclear weapon whose enormous explosive power results from the sudden release of energy from a fission reaction. (See also Hiroshima (see also Hiroshima), hydrogen bomb, Nagasaki, and Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT].)

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• atomic bombs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of atomic bomb

First recorded in 1910–15

Compare meaning

How does atomic-bomb compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hydrogen bomb vs. atomic bomb
• hydrogen vs. atomic bomb

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

atomic bomb

Casias, 54, was employed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory — where the first atomic bomb was developed and where nuclear weapons work continues — when she disappeared.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Truman held doggedly to Roosevelt’s demand for unconditional surrender as the atomic bomb test lighted up the New Mexico sky.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

With the explosion of the atomic bomb, Kip’s belief system is literally shattered, leaving him to find a new path in life that, sadly, doesn’t include Hana.

From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026

"The Strait of Hormuz represents an opportunity as precious as an atomic bomb," said Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader.

From Barron's ● May 8, 2026

For the physicists of the atomic bomb program, Germany’s surrender on May 7, 1945, complicated the moral and ethical issues connected with the device they had invented.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• atom bomb
• hydrogen bomb
• neutron bomb
• nuclear warhead