Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
pipe bomb

pipe bomb

29 5.9
A thing made inside a metal pipe that explodes to hurt people or damage things
  • noun
  • /paɪp bɑm/
  • Offensive
translation icon : bomba casera
  • Pipe bombs found at landings, with makings for more discovered in a nearby home.
  • pipe bomb explodes
  • pipe bomb found
  • mailing pipe bombs

Four months after being deployed, a pipe bomb blew up his Humvee.

Examples

  • A botched attempt at an armored-car robbery left one man dead and a slew of questions, as a pipe bomb was detonated in broad daylight at 125th and Lennox Avenue in Manhattan.

    Empire State (2013)

  • March 26, 1997: Militia activist Brendon Blasz is arrested in Kalamazoo, Mich., and charged with making pipe bombs and other illegal explosives.

    Blog text (13)

  • Later, she was a suspect in a pipe bomb attempt.

    Blog text (24)

  • Four months after being deployed, a pipe bomb blew up his Humvee.

    Dr. Phil

  • A few days later, a Riverside man was arrested for rigging what looked like pipe bombs outside his foreclosed home.

    Blog text (8)

  • The police discovered a pipe bomb hidden in an abandoned building.

  • Residents were concerned after a pipe bomb was found near the playground.

  • Authorities warned about the dangers of a pipe bomb that could cause serious injuries.

Synonyms

bomb
vspipe bomb
∞ 1.8

A container with explosive material that makes a large explosion and damages things

is a specific homemade metal-container version often aimed to injure or damage
explosive device
vspipe bomb
  • Specialized
40 4.1

An object made to burst violently and cause damage

is a narrow homemade metal-container type specifically for causing injury or damage

How Destructive

nuclear weapon
  • NSFW
634 3.5
car bomb
  • Offensive
39 5.0
plastic bomb
  • NSFW
5.1
pipe bomb
  • Offensive
29 5.9
grenade
170 4.4
firework
180 1.9

Surface Forms

pipe bomb singular
pipe bombs plural

Morphology

pipe + bomb

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from the constituents: 'pipe' (a tubular conduit) + 'bomb' (an explosive device) clearly denotes an explosive device made from a pipe. This compound noun follows a productive, literal composition pattern common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The noun pipe bomb comes from a simple picture: a 'bomb' placed inside a metal pipe, so the two words describe the object itself. That's why today it means a homemade 'thing that explodes' made to cause 'damage' or 'injury'.