fuel-air bomb
1
8.4
- noun
- Specialized
:
bomba de combustible y aire
- Many advanced weapon systems, including the fuel-air bomb, have been created to enhance tactical advantages in combat.
Examples
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Engineers developed the fuel-air bomb to cause widespread damage without using nuclear materials.
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As I understand it, you want to firebomb the town of Cedar Creek... ...population 2600, with something called a fuel-air bomb... ...the most powerful non-nuclear weapon in our arsenal.
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The military demonstrated the effectiveness of a fuel-air bomb during the training exercise, showcasing its destructive capability.
Synonyms
2
9.9
A weapon that spreads fuel in the air and then lights it to make a very large blast
1
7.3
A weapon that sprays fuel into the air and then sets it on fire to make a very strong blast
A bomb that spreads fuel into the air and then sets it on fire to make a very large explosion
A weapon that sprays flammable liquid into the air then sets it on fire to make a large explosion
A bomb that spreads fuel and ignites to make a very hot, powerful blast
A weapon that spreads fuel into the air and then sets it on fire, causing a very large blast
Surface Forms
Morphology
fuel-air + bomb
The meaning is directly inferable from the parts: a B1 learner who knows 'fuel', 'air' and 'bomb' can understand this as a bomb that uses fuel and air to produce an explosion. Although 'fuel-air' is a technical compound, its composition follows a transparent modifier+noun pattern common across languages, so the overall sense is predictable from the constituents.
Etymology
The name fuel-air bomb comes from how it works: it first spreads fuel into the air, then the bomb lights that fuel cloud so it burns and explodes with a huge blast. So, the image of a burning fuel cloud explains why the term means 'a weapon that makes a very powerful explosion over a wide area'.