high explosive

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noun

a class of explosive, as TNT, in which the reaction is so rapid as to be practically instantaneous, used in shells and bombs.

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Origin of high explosive

First recorded in 1875–80

OTHER WORDS FROM high explosive

high-ex·plo·sive, adjective

Words nearby high explosive

higher self, Higher Still, higher-up, highest common factor, Highet, high explosive, highfalutin, high fashion, high fidelity, high finance, high-five

How to use high explosive in a sentence

Eric Garcetti succeeded Villaraigosa and has received high marks in his first year and a half on the job.
The Golden State Preps for the ‘Red Wedding’ of Senate Races|David Freedlander|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Nor does the jet have the ability to capture high-definition video, utilize an infra-red pointer.
Pentagon Misfires in Stealth Jet Scandal|Dave Majumdar|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Obsessive exercising and inadequate nutrition can, over time, put people at high risk for overuse injuries like stress fractures.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The most recent activity had a high point of 3.6 on the Richter Scale.
26 Earthquakes Later, Fracking’s Smoking Gun Is in Texas|James Joiner|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

He felt his body grow limp (like one of those high-speed films of a flower wilting).
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Honour the physician for the need thou hast of him: for the most High hath created him.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
The most High hath created medicines out of the earth, and a wise man will not abhor them.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
The Majesty on high has a colony and a people on earth, which otherwise is under the supremacy of the Evil One.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
In cross-section the burrows varied from round (three inches in diameter) to oval (three inches high and four inches wide).
Summer Birds From the Yucatan Peninsula|Erwin E. Klaas
As Spain, however, has fallen from the high place she once held, her colonial system has also gone down.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.

British Dictionary definitions for high explosive

high explosive

noun

an extremely powerful chemical explosive, such as TNT or gelignite

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