detonation

[det-n-ey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of detonating.

2. an explosion.

3. Machinery.,  the premature spontaneous burning of a fuel–air mixture in an internal-combustion engine due to the high temperature of air compressed in a cylinder.

Other Word Forms

• detonative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of detonation¹

1670–80; < Medieval Latin dētonātiōn- (stem of dētonātiō ), equivalent to Latin dētonāt ( us ) ( detonate ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Police said in a statement that it was an accidental detonation, not a terrorist attack.

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No country other than North Korea is known to have conducted a nuclear detonation for decades.

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The last US nuclear test explosion was in September 1992, with a 20-kiloton underground detonation at the Nevada Nuclear Security Site.

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But military officials said they suspect there was an issue with the fuse that led to the premature detonation.

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The volatile nature of the explosive materials has also hampered the emergency response, officials said, as controlled detonations to render the site safe are also expected in the coming days.

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Related Words

• ignition