Bombproofs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A structure reinforced to withstand explosions and projectile impacts
2. Describing materials or designs that provide maximum protection from explosive forces
3. Referring to objects or constructions designed to be impervious to severe blast damage

Etymology: "Bombproofs" is the plural of "bombproof," which is formed from "bomb" plus the suffix "-proof," meaning resistant to or protected against something. Its plural form is simply the noun or adjective-turned-noun pluralised, so "bombproofs" refers to several such structures or objects at once. The first half of the compound traces back a long way. "Bomb" is ultimately from the Ancient Greek "bómbos," an imitative word for a deep booming sound, which passed into Latin as "bombus" and then through Italian "bomba" and French "bombe" before reaching English. The sense of a hollow explosive shell came into use only in the early modern period, so the word's sound-imitating origin in Greek has little to do with the weapons it names today. The second half, "-proof," has its own story. It began as a noun meaning a test or trial, and "proof" in that sense is the root of the suffix's later meaning: something that has been tested and found to withstand a force. "Bombproof" therefore describes a structure that has been tested against bombardment and held up.