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Intermediate Dictionary
       

ex·plode

explode

 
 
pronunciation:
ihk splod
features:
Word History, Word Explorer
part of speech: verb
inflections: explodes, exploding, exploded
definition 1: to burst because of too much pressure inside.
If you blow too much air into a balloon, it will explode.
similar words:
burst
definition 2: to burst out suddenly into laughter, crying, or shouting.
The little boy exploded into tears after he fell off his bike.
similar words:
blow up, burst, rage
definition 3: to cause to burst with great force.
He was arrested after exploding a bomb in his yard.
similar words:
burst
derivation: exploder (n.)
Word History
Explode comes from a Latin word that means "to drive off the stage by clapping," the Roman version of booing. In English, "explode" first had the meaning "to drive away with a loud noise." During the 1700s it came to be used for something that goes off with a loud noise, such as a bomb.
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