atomic bomb

noun

1
: a bomb whose violent explosive power is due to the sudden release of energy resulting from the splitting of nuclei of a heavy chemical element (such as plutonium or uranium) by neutrons in a very rapid chain reaction

called also atom bomb

2
: a nuclear weapon (such as a hydrogen bomb)

Examples of atomic bomb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The law compensated people in about a dozen western states who developed serious illnesses from nuclear testing and manufacturing stemming from World War II-era efforts to develop the atomic bomb. Arkansas Online, 14 June 2025 Nagasaki was the second city in the world—after Hiroshima—to come under a nuclear attack when the U.S. detonated an atomic bomb there on August 9, 1945, prompting Japan's surrender and officially ending World War II. Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025 Last year, Cameron acquired the rights to author Charles Pellegrino’s book Ghosts of Hiroshima, focusing on the story of the atomic bomb. Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 2 June 2025 Breakthroughs by Niels Bohr, born in Denmark, and Enrico Fermi were crucial in developing the atomic bomb. Stuart Anderson, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for atomic bomb

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of atomic bomb was in 1914

Cite this Entry

“Atomic bomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atomic%20bomb. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

atomic bomb

noun
1
: a bomb whose violent explosive power is due to the sudden release of energy resulting from the splitting of nuclei of a heavy chemical element (as plutonium or uranium) by neutrons

called also atom bomb

2

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