detonation

UK/dɛtəˈneɪʃən/

nounC1Common in everyday speech and writing · #6,241 of 15,258neutral

Other forms: detonations

Detonation is the setting off of an explosion. A controlled detonation, the detonation of the device, prevent detonation.

It has a strict technical meaning, since a detonation travels faster than the speed of sound in the material and anything slower is deflagration, which is why some explosives burn and others shatter. A controlled detonation is how bomb squads dispose of a device.

Definitions of detonation

1noundetonationThe setting off of an explosion.C1
“Workers at the quarry are warned by a siren before each detonation.”

detonation is an explosion.

Where it comes from

French detonation comes from Latin detonare, to thunder down.

French
détonation
English, today
detonation

From French détonation; equivalent to detonate + ion.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

detonation in the wild

Trinity was the first detonation of a nuclear weapon, conducted by the United States Army at 5:29 a.m.
Trinity (nuclear test)
A pulse detonation engine (PDE) is a type of propulsion system that uses detonation waves to combust a fuel and oxidizer mixture.
Pulse detonation engine
The engine is pulsed because the mixture must be renewed in the combustion chamber between each detonation wave and the next.
Pulse detonation engine
Explosive velocity, also known as detonation velocity or velocity of detonation (VoD), is the velocity at which the shock wave front travels through a detonated explosive.
Detonation velocity
Typical detonation velocities for organic dust mixtures range from 1,400 to 1,650 m/s.
Detonation velocity

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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