1. A violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
   "The explosion at the factory shook nearby buildings";
   - detonation, blowup, blow-up
    
2. The act of exploding or bursting
   "the explosion of the firecrackers awoke the children";
   - burst
    
3. The noise caused by an explosion
   "the explosion was heard a mile away"
    
4. A sudden great increase
   "the population explosion"; "the information explosion"
    
5. A sudden outburst
   "an explosion of laughter"; "an explosion of rage"
    
6. The terminal forced release of pressure built up during the occlusive phase of a stop consonant
   "The explosion in the 't' sound of 'top' is clearly audible";
   - plosion
    
7. A golf shot from a bunker that typically moves sand as well as the golf ball
   "His explosion shot from the deep bunker landed softly on the green"

Derived forms: explosions

Type of: blowup [informal], blow-up [informal], change of integrity, discharge, ebullition, effusion, golf shot, golf stroke, gush, increase, noise, outburst, release, swing, tone ending

Part of: occlusive, plosive, plosive consonant, plosive speech sound, stop, stop consonant

Encyclopedia: Explosion