bombardment

American  

[bom-bahrd-muhnt] / bɒmˈbɑrd mənt /

noun

1. a continuous or sustained attack, as with bombs or artillery fire.

   The rebel attacks were followed by government counterattacks that included airstrikes and artillery bombardment.

   The moon’s surface bears the scars of countless impact craters caused by the asteroid bombardment it has suffered over the eons.

2. an overwhelming quantity or barrage of something.

   We are all fed up with the incessant preelection bombardment of campaign mailers.

   Entering the stadium, you are immediately hit with a sensory bombardment: the buzz and crackle of massive television monitors, the smell of over-priced hotdogs and nachos.

3. Physics. the act or action of directing particles or radiation against something, such as a nucleus.

   In a conventional cathode-ray tube, the inside coating of the faceplate emits light in response to electron bombardment.

   Neutron bombardment of the uranium in the fuel converts some of it to plutonium, which is fissionable.

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Etymology

Origin of bombardment

bombard ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )

Example Sentences

For now, residents feel trapped between bombardment and displacement, uncertain how long they can endure.

From Barron's

A Syrian security official, also requesting anonymity, told AFP that "the bombardment was intense" and lasted around five hours.

From Barron's

The Army is thinking boats, buggies and bombardment.

From The Wall Street Journal

How long the bombardment lasts—a few days or a few weeks—is a crucial decision Chinese war planners would have to make.

From The Wall Street Journal

The latest bombardment came as Ukrainian negotiators were preparing for talks with US officials this weekend on an amended US peace plan.

From BBC

Related Words

• assault
• attack
• blitz
• bombing
• onslaught
• shelling