detonator

American  

[det-n-ey-ter] / ˈdɛt nˌeɪ tər /

noun

1. a device, as a percussion cap, used to make another substance explode.

2. something that explodes.

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detonator British  

/ ˈdɛtəˌneɪtə /

noun

1. a small amount of explosive, as in a percussion cap, used to initiate a larger explosion

2. a device, such as an electrical generator, used to set off an explosion from a distance

3. a substance or object that explodes or is capable of exploding

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Etymology

Origin of detonator

First recorded in 1815–25; detonate + -or ²

Example Sentences

The rocket is lit using an oversized lever designed to look like a “Looney Tunes” version of a TNT detonator.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025

For more common parts, like the plastics and metals and wiring inside each detonator, there are also questions about how the years spent in warheads might affect their integrity.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 19, 2023

But the wire ended nearby in the grass, unconnected to any detonator.

From New York Times • Apr. 10, 2023

The detonator - often used as an emergency warning device to warn maintenance workers of approaching trains - somehow ended up at a store in Morecambe, Lancashire.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2022

Powell unlimbered the detonator, and his eyes searched anxiously across the dusky background where the only light was robot light and it was impossible to tell a projecting boulder from a shadow.

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

Related Words

• ammunition
• bomb
• booby trap
• dynamite
• gunpowder
• mine
• missile
• munition
• powder