fission bomb
- noun
- /ˈfɪʃən bɑm/
- Specialized
- The scientists worked tirelessly to develop a more efficient fission bomb that could release greater energy.
Examples
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The fission bomb and then the fusion bomb are remarkable counterexamples to the general rule that simpler, older science makes for more effective (military) technology.
Blog text (32) -
The purpose of which is the creation of a fission bomb.
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There may be one moment that tells you whether the Germans have a chance at a fission bomb or not.
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And Orlov is a mathematician whose expertise is the geometry... of high explosives inside a fission bomb.
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Morrison worked on the Manhattan Project and helped survey damage caused by the fission bomb dropped on Hiroshima, then wrote a series of articles aimed at awakening the public to the danger posed by nuclear weapons.
Academic text (1992) -
These humans had killed thousands of their own kind with fission bombs—and astonishingly, that bloody act had actually stopped a war in which millions were slaughtered!
Fiction book (2000) -
After testing, they concluded that the new fission bomb design was more powerful than previous models.
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Researchers discussed the implications of deploying a fission bomb in modern warfare during the summit.
Synonyms
A very powerful bomb that uses energy from splitting or joining atoms
A very powerful bomb that uses nuclear energy
A thing that can kill or injure many people, like nuclear, chemical and biological devices
A very powerful weapon that splits atoms to make a huge explosion and destroy large areas
A very powerful weapon that splits atoms to release huge energy
A very powerful weapon that splits atoms to cause a huge explosion
A very powerful explosive that uses energy from splitting or joining atoms to destroy things
How Destructive
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'fission' (nuclear splitting that releases energy) + 'bomb' (an explosive device): a bomb that uses nuclear fission. This is a straightforward noun–noun compound pattern found across languages and is therefore immediately comprehensible to learners who know both constituent words, even though 'fission' is a technical term.
Etymology
Fission bomb comes from the word fission, which means 'to split', and bomb for a weapon. The image is simple: splitting tiny parts inside an atom releases a lot of energy, so the name shows it is a bomb that works by splitting atoms and explains its great power.