Bomb

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /bɒm/

Definitions

1. A weapon designed to explode and cause destruction or damage ; a total failure or flop especially in entertainment or plans ; to do something unsuccessfully or fail badly in a task or event
2. An explosive device intended to cause harm or destruction ; an utter disaster, particularly a performance or project that is unsuccessful ; to perform poorly or come to ruin through failure
3. An object that detonates to inflict damage or injury ; a major flop or fiasco usually in public reception ; to go wrong or fail spectacularly in an attempt or undertaking

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "bomb" is that its name is an onomatopoeia: the Ancient Greek "bómbos" meant a booming, humming or buzzing sound, and the word describes the noise before it describes the weapon. The Latin "bombus" carried that same sense of a booming noise, so the root stayed tied to sound for centuries. The explosive sense came through Italian. "Bomba" in Italian named a hollow missile, and it passed into French as "bombe," which English borrowed. The French form survives in English as a doublet, "bombe," used for a rounded dessert or shape, while "bomb" took the military sense. The noise-making root is still audible in "boom," which is related.

Synonyms: explosive, device, munition, shell, detonator

Antonyms: peace, tranquility, calm, safety, protection