atomic warhead
1
5.1
- noun
- /əˈtɑːmɪk ˈwɔːrˌhɛd/
- Specialized
:
cabeza nuclear
- The United States possesses around 4,000 atomic warheads, but the New START treaty with Russia limits the number of ready-to-use warheads to just 1,550.
Examples
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I can't help but imagine what it will be for such an enemy rocket to carry an atomic warhead.
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China, despite all our freedom-loving efforts, was able to send 30 atomic warheads our way.
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Or a rocket with an atomic warhead.
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China, despite all our freedom-loving efforts, was able to send 30 atomic warheads our way.
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"We possess several hundred atomic warheads and rockets and can launch them at targets in all directions, perhaps even at Rome.
Blog text (7) -
The 92 original Atreides family's atomic warheads.
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The number of missiles and atomic warheads is unknown for China, but she is capable of initiating retaliatory strikes if attacked.
Blog text (15) -
I watched a documentary on TV (History Channel) a while back, which revealed that the Japanese were within about three weeks of delivering atomic warheads by way of German rockets to us and our allies.
Blog text (11) -
At the beginning of the Cold War, the U.S. military had its sights set on rockets that couldn't be jammed from the ground, which could perhaps one day carry atomic warheads.
Academic text (2005) -
The Pentagon completed its last totally new atomic warhead design in the early 1980s.
Synonyms
634
3.5
A very powerful bomb that uses energy from splitting or joining atoms
148
7.6
A very powerful bomb that uses nuclear energy
66
2.3
A very powerful weapon that splits atoms to make a huge explosion and destroy large areas
35
5.0
A part of a missile or bomb that contains a nuclear bomb
32
3.0
A very powerful weapon that splits atoms to release huge energy
16
3.0
A very powerful weapon that splits atoms to cause a huge explosion
11
3.5
A very powerful explosive that uses energy from splitting or joining atoms to destroy things
How Destructive
- Specialized
1
7.4
- NSFW
35
5.0
- Specialized
1
5.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'atomic' (relating to nuclear/atomic energy) modifies 'warhead' (the explosive part of a missile), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a nuclear explosive component. This is a regular noun–noun compound following transparent compounding patterns found across languages, making it immediately understandable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Atomic warhead brings together two images: atomic means energy from tiny 'atoms' that can be split to make a huge blast, and warhead is the 'head' or front part of a missile that holds the weapon. So, an atomic warhead is the explosive front of a bomb or missile that uses atomic energy, which is why it means 'the explosive part of a missile or bomb that carries a nuclear weapon'.