napalm

[ ney-pahm ]

See synonyms for: napalm napalmed napalming on Thesaurus.com

noun

a highly incendiary jellylike substance used in fire bombs, flamethrowers, etc.

verb (used with object)

to drop bombs containing napalm on (troops, a city, or the like).

Origin of napalm

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45; na(phthene) + palm(itate)

Words Nearby napalm

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use napalm in a sentence

In late 1944, thousands of bombs packed with napalm reached the Marianas.
Wrestling with the strategy — and morality — of the firebombing of Japan | Diana Preston | April 23, 2021 | Washington Post
napalm is the infamous, goo-like substance that burns quickly when lit on fire and adheres easily to skin.
Sexually-Charged Napalm Sculptures Debut at Gallery Diet in Miami | Ann Binlot | March 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
But one artist in Miami has gone even further, creating pieces made from napalm and a rare aphrodisiac soda, Nexcite.
Sexually-Charged Napalm Sculptures Debut at Gallery Diet in Miami | Ann Binlot | March 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Like napalm or the wrath of God, but for your digestive system.
Diet Like Jesus: What the Bible Says About How to Eat | Candida Moss | October 15, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Authorities also found the paintbrushes Holmes allegedly used to make the napalm.
Inside James Holmes’s Booby-Trapped Apartment | Christine Pelisek | January 9, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

Urban landscapes had been devastated by napalm and white phosphorous; two major Japanese cities had been leveled by atomic bombs.
The O Word: Christopher Dickey on What Occupation Means Today | Christopher Dickey | December 6, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
The napalm caught, tongues of flame and roiling, greasy smoke climbed up to the sky.
Deathworld | Harry Harrison
Clenching the gun in his teeth, the Pyrran clutched a barrel of napalm with his good hand and hurled it over on its side.
Deathworld | Harry Harrison
Two Pyrrans were rolling out drums of napalm with reckless disregard for their own safety.
Deathworld | Harry Harrison
The napalm drums were unloaded without his help and the truck vanished for more.
Deathworld | Harry Harrison
Burning wax was hotter than melted lead, and it stuck to anything it touched, worse than napalm.
Four-Day Planet | Henry Beam Piper

British Dictionary definitions for napalm

napalm

/ (ˈneɪpɑːm, ˈnæ-) /

noun

a thick and highly incendiary liquid, usually consisting of petrol gelled with aluminium soaps, used in firebombs, flame-throwers, etc

verb

(tr) to attack with napalm

Origin of napalm

C20: from na (phthene) + palm (itate)

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

Scientific definitions for napalm

napalm

[ nā′päm′ ]

A firm jelly made by mixing gasoline with aluminum salts (made of fatty acids). It is used in some bombs and in flamethrowers. Napalm was developed during World War II.

Browse