atomic bomb
or atom bomb
- 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.
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Origin of atomic bomb
First recorded in 1910–15
Also called A-bomb, fission bomb.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
atomic bomb
atom 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 bombsAlso called: A-bomb, fission bomb Compare fusion bomb
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
atomic bomb
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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atomic bomb
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.