Explosives

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Substances designed to rapidly produce a violent release of energy through a chemical reaction that causes an explosion
2. Materials that undergo a sudden and intense transformation to generate gases and heat, resulting in an explosive effect
3. Chemical compounds or mixtures intended to detonate or explode, releasing energy through a rapid reaction

Etymology: The "explosive" in "explosives" comes from the Latin verb "explodere", meaning to drive out or hiss off the stage. Roman audiences used it to express disapproval: actors who displeased the crowd were hooted off, and the verb's core image is of a sound being driven away. The Latin verb was built from "ex-", "out", and a root for clapping or applauding, which is why it sits in the same family as "plaudere", the verb behind "applaud". Latin speakers, in other words, understood the word as much about rejection as about noise. The English adjective "explosive" was formed from the Latin participle stem "explos-" with the suffix "-ive", which means "tending toward" or "having the nature of". The adjective came first, meaning something capable of bursting violently, and the plural noun "explosives" followed for substances that produce that effect. The modern sense, where the word names materials rather than a quality, is a later shift in how English uses the adjective.

Synonyms: bombs, ordnance, dynamite, fireworks, blasting agents

Antonyms: silencers, calm, peace