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Glite Dictionary
penetration bomb

penetration bomb

7.6
A strong bomb that goes through hard targets before it explodes
  • noun
  • /ˌpɛnəˈtreɪʃən bɑm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : bomba de penetración
  • Engineers designed the penetration bomb to withstand impact with reinforced concrete targets.

Examples

  • Satellite images showed the effects of several penetration bombs on the enemy facility.

  • The military deployed a penetration bomb to destroy the underground bunker.

  • The military deployed a penetration bomb during the exercise.

  • Have you heard about the new penetration bombs developed by the army?

  • The military used a penetration bomb to destroy the heavily fortified bunker.

  • Engineers designed a new penetration bomb that could breach concrete walls more effectively.

  • During the airstrike, the penetration bomb successfully hit its target, causing significant structural damage.

Synonyms

explosive device
vspenetration bomb
  • Specialized
40 4.1

An object made to burst violently and cause damage

is a specific munition with heavy casing and reduced explosive to penetrate targets
bunker buster
vspenetration bomb
  • Specialized
3 7.9

A very strong bomb that breaks through thick concrete to explode inside underground shelters

is used for penetrating hardened targets generally, not only underground

How Penetrative

Guided Bomb Unit-28
  • Specialized
9.4
bunker buster
  • Specialized
3 7.9
penetration bomb
  • Specialized
7.6
general-purpose bomb
  • Specialized
4.4

Surface Forms

penetration bomb singular
penetration bombs plural

Morphology

penetration + bomb

The compound is directly compositional: 'penetration' (the act of passing through) modifies 'bomb' so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it is a bomb designed to penetrate targets before detonating. While technical details like casing strength or exact explosive proportion are specialised, the core meaning is transparently derived from the constituents and common noun-noun compounding patterns.

Etymology

Penetration bomb is named for what it does: a heavy bomb with a very strong shell made to penetrate—that is, 'go into' concrete, earth, or a bunker before it explodes. So the name literally shows its purpose: a bomb built to get inside a hard target and then explode.