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Added 9 October 2026

bomb

/bɒm/ noun

In Latin: pyrobolus, bomba Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about bomb at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An explosive device fused to explode under specific conditions.
Strong sealed vessel for measuring heat of combustion.
An event that fails badly or is totally ineffectual.
the first experiment was a real turkey

verb

Throw bombs at or attack with bombs.
The Americans bombed Dresden
Fail to get a passing grade.
She studied hard but failed nevertheless

Origin

From French bombe, from Italian bomba, from Latin bombus (“a booming sound”), from Ancient Greek βόμβος (bómbos, “booming, humming, buzzing”), imitative of the sound itself. Doublet of bombe. Compare boom.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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