plastic explosive
9
6.1
- noun
- /ˈplæstɪk ɪkˈspləʊsɪv/
- NSFW
:
explosivo plástico
- The bomb squad safely disposed of the plastic explosive found in the old warehouse.
- C-4 plastic explosive
- pound of plastic explosive
- powerful plastic explosive
And then they, they use plastic, plastic explosives like Tovex.
- And then they, they use plastic, plastic explosives like Tovex.
Examples
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Twelve canisters and at least fifteen pounds of plastic explosives.
Fiction book (1996) -
All you need is a lump of plastic explosive and a piece of copper.
Blog text (16) -
In exactly 30 hours from now... that plastic explosive will do what it does best.
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Now, take out the plastic explosive.
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Three pounds of plastic explosives under the driver's seat.
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I'd say two pounds of plastic explosive.
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Plastic explosives are usually the most cost-effective means to remove structures.
Academic text (1994) -
But here were others, a constant niggling stream that clearly indicated that a plastic explosive had been used.
Fiction book (1994) -
We see a block of reddish Semtex plastic explosive and a chemical fuse.
Fiction book (2002) -
Plastic explosive can be molded into any form, probably a high-performance Czech type called Semtex.
Fiction book (1990)
Synonyms
336
5.5
A chemical that reacts very fast, making gas and heat to blast things
13
5.8
A very strong chemical that explodes quickly and makes a lot of gas and energy
8
9.9
A soft, strong explosive you can shape to fit around objects
1
5.8
A chemical that can explode and cause a sudden violent reaction
A strong chemical charge in shells or bombs that makes a violent blast
How Powerful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'plastic' (malleable, can be shaped) with 'explosive' (a substance that explodes) to mean an explosive that is soft and can be shaped by hand, a directly compositional interpretation. This follows a common adjective + noun pattern and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the intended meaning (context like military use also clarifies the 'malleable' sense over 'made of plastic').
Etymology
Plastic explosive comes from the word plastic, which here means 'soft and easy to shape'. Because it can be pressed and shaped by hand to fit around objects, the name now means a powerful explosive that can be shaped to do a particular job.