bomb

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

bomb, n. [F. bombe bombshell, fr. L. bombus a humming or buzzing noise, Gr. .].

•  A great noise; a hollow sound.  [1913 Webster]

  "A pillar of iron . . . which if you had struck, would make . . . a great bomb in the chamber beneath."  [1913 Webster]
•  A shell; esp. a spherical shell, like those fired from mortars. See Shell.  [1913 Webster]
•  A bomb ketch.  [1913 Webster]

Bomb chest (Mil.), a chest filled with bombs, or only with gunpowder, placed under ground, to cause destruction by its explosion. -- Bomb ketch, Bomb vessel (Naut.), a small ketch or vessel, very strongly built, on which mortars are mounted to be used in naval bombardments; -- called also mortar vessel. -- Bomb lance, a lance or harpoon with an explosive head, used in whale fishing. -- Volcanic bomb, a mass of lava of a spherical or pear shape. “I noticed volcanic bombs.” Darwin.

bomb, v. t. 

 To bombard.  Prior.  [1913 Webster]

bomb, v. i. [Cf. Boom.].

 To sound; to boom; to make a humming or buzzing sound.  B. Jonson.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

bomb, n. & v.
--n.
1 a a container with explosive, incendiary material, smoke, or gas etc., designed to explode on impact or by means of a time-mechanism or remote-control device. b an ordinary object fitted with an explosive device (letter-bomb).
2 (prec. by the) the atomic or hydrogen bomb considered as a weapon with supreme destructive power.
3 Brit. sl. a large sum of money (cost a bomb).
4 a mass of solidified lava thrown from a volcano.
5 US colloq. a bad failure (esp. a theatrical one).
6 sl. a drugged cigarette.
7 Med. = radium bomb.
--v.
1 tr. attack with bombs; drop bombs on.
2 tr. (foll. by out) drive (a person etc.) out of a building or refuge by using bombs.
3 intr. throw or drop bombs.
4 intr. esp. US sl. fail badly.
5 intr. colloq. (usu. foll. by along, off) move or go very quickly.
6 tr. US sl. criticize fiercely.

Idiom

bomb-bay a compartment in an aircraft used to hold bombs. bomb-disposal the defusing or removal and detonation of an unexploded bomb. bomb-sight a device in an aircraft for aiming bombs. bomb-site an area where buildings have been destroyed by bombs. go down a bomb colloq., often iron. be very well received. like a bomb Brit. colloq.
1 often iron. very successfully.
2 very fast.

Etymology

F bombe f. It. bomba f. L bombus f. Gk bombos hum

THESAURUS

bomb

A-bomb, Grand Guignol, H-bomb, Passion play, Tom show, aerial bomb, antimasque, antipersonnel bomb, astonishment, atom-bomb, atomic bomb, audience success, ballet, batter, be a gas, be a hit, bill, blast, blitz, blockbuster, blow, blow to pieces, blow up, bombard, bombshell, broadcast drama, burlesque show, bust, cannonade, carcass, catch, charade, cliff hanger, closet drama, comedy drama, concussion grenade, crap out, critical success, daytime serial, depth bomb, depth charge, dialogue, dive-bomb, documentary drama, drama, dramalogue, dramatic play, dramatic series, dramatize, draw a blank, drop a bomb, drop the ball, dud, dull thud, duodrama, duologue, earthshaker, epic theater, experimental theater, explosive, extravaganza, eye-opener, fail, failure, fall flat, fan, feature, fire bomb, fireball, fizzle, flat failure, flop, floperoo, flummox, fold, fold up, frost, fusion bomb, gas grenade, gasser, get left, giveaway, glide-bomb, grenade, hand grenade, happening, headline, hit, hit show, hydrobomb, hydrogen bomb, improvisational drama, incendiary, incendiary bomb, incendiary grenade, infernal machine, joker, kicker, lay an egg, legitimate drama, lemon, lose out, loser, make a hit, masque, melodrama, melodramatize, mine, minstrel show, miracle, miracle play, monodrama, monologue, morality, morality play, mount, music drama, musical revue, mystery, mystery play, not hack it, not make it, open, open a show, opera, pageant, panel show, pantomime, pastoral, pastoral drama, peripeteia, petard, piece, pipe bomb, play, playlet, plutonium bomb, premiere, present, preview, problem play, produce, psychodrama, put on, quiz show, radio drama, razon bomb, revelation, review, revue, robot bomb, roc, rocket bomb, satchel charge, scenarize, sensational play, serial, set the stage, shell, shocker, show, sitcom, situation comedy, sketch, skip-bomb, skit, smoke bomb, soap, soap opera, sociodrama, spectacle, spring, stage, stage play, stage show, staggerer, star, startler, stench bomb, stink bomb, straight drama, strike out, succeed, success, surprisal, surprise, surprise ending, surprise package, surprise party, suspense drama, switch, tableau, tableau vivant, take the count, talk show, tear-gas bomb, tear-gas grenade, teleplay, television drama, television play, theater of cruelty, theatricalize, thermonuclear bomb, thunderbolt, thunderclap, time bomb, total loss, total theater, try out, turkey, variety show, vaudeville, vaudeville show, vehicle, wall grenade, washout, wear thin, whiff, word-of-mouth success, work

ROGET THESAURUS

bomb

Attack

VB attack, assault, assail, invade, set upon, fall upon, charge, impugn, break a lance with, enter the lists, assume the offensive, take the offensive, be the aggressor, become the aggressor, strike the first blow, draw first blood, throw the first stone at, lift a hand against, draw the sword against, take up the cudgels, advance against, march against, march upon, harry, come on, show fight, strike at, poke at, thrust at, aim a blow at, deal a blow at, give one a blow, fetch one a blow, fetch one a kick, give one a kick, have a cut at, have a shot at, take a cut at, take a shot at, have a fling at, have a shy at, be down upon, pounce upon, fall foul of, pitch into, launch out against, bait, slap on the face, make a thrust at, make a pass at, make a set at, make a dead set at, bear down upon, close with, come to close quarters, bring to bay, ride full tilt against, attack tooth and nail, go at hammer and tongs, let fly at, dash at, run a tilt at, rush at, tilt at, run at, fly at, hawk at, have at, let out at, make a dash, make a rush at, strike home, drive one hard, press one hard, be hard upon, run down, strike at the root of, lay about one, run amuck, aim at, draw a bead on, fire upon, fire at, fire a shot at, shoot at, pop at, level at, let off a gun at, open fire, pepper, bombard, shell, pour a broadside into, fire a volley, fire red-hot shot, spring a mine, throw a stone, throw stones at, stone, lapidate, pelt, hurl at, hurl against, hurl at the head of, rock beset, besiege, beleaguer, lay siege to, invest, open the trenches, plant a battery, sap, mine, storm, board, scale the walls, cut and thrust, bayonet, butt, kick, strike, whip, assail, impugn, malign (detract), bomb, rocket, blast.

Arms

N arm, arms, weapon, deadly weapon, armament, armaments, armature, panoply, stand of arms, armor, armory, apparatus belli, ammunition, powder, powder and shot, cartridge, ball cartridge, cartouche, fireball, villainous saltpeter, dumdum bullet, explosive, gunpowder, guncotton, mercury fulminate, picrates, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, PETN, high explosive, trinitrotoluene, TNT, dynamite, melinite, cordite, lyddite, plastic explosive, plastique, pyroxyline, sword, saber, broadsword, cutlass, falchion, scimitar, cimeter, brand, whinyard, bilbo, glaive, glave, rapier, skean, Toledo, Ferrara, tuck, claymore, adaga, baselard, Lochaber ax, skean dhu, creese, kris, dagger, dirk, banger, poniard, stiletto, stylet, dudgeon, bayonet, sword-bayonet, sword-stick, side arms, foil, blade, steel, ax, bill, pole-ax, battle-ax, gisarme, halberd, partisan, tomahawk, bowie knife, ataghan, attaghan, yataghan, yatacban, assagai, assegai, good sword, trusty sword, naked sword, cold steel, club, mace, truncheon, staff, bludgeon, cudgel, life preserver, shillelah, sprig, hand staff, quarter staff, bat, cane, stick, knuckle duster, billy, blackjack, sandbag, waddy, gun, piece, firearms, artillery, ordnance, siege train, battering train, park, battery, cannon, gun of position, heavy gun, field piece, mortar, howitzer, carronade, culverin, basilisk, falconet, jingal, swivel, pederero, bouche a feu, petard, torpedo, mitrailleur, mitrailleuse, infernal machine, smooth bore, rifled cannon, Armstrong gun, Lancaster gun, Paixhan gun, Whitworth gun, Parrott gun, Krupp gun, Gatling gun, Maxim gun, machine gun, pompom, ten pounder, small arms, musket, musketry, firelock, fowling piece, rifle, fusil, caliver, carbine, blunderbuss, musketoon, Brown Bess, matchlock, harquebuss, arquebus, haguebut, pistol, postolet, petronel, small bore, breach-loader, muzzle-loader, revolver, repeater, Minis rifle, Enfield rifle, Flobert rifle, Westley Richards rifle, Snider rifle, Martini-Henry rifle, Lee-Metford rifle, Lee-Enfield rifle, Mauser rifle, magazine rifle, needle gun, chassepot, wind gun, air gun, automatic gun, automatic pistol, escopet, escopette, gunflint, gun- lock, hackbut, shooter, shooting iron, six-shooter, shotgun, Uzzi, assault rifle, Kalashnikov, bow, crossbow, balister, catapult, sling, battering ram, gunnery, ballistics, missile, bolt, projectile, shot, ball, grape, grape shot, canister shot, bar shot, cannon shot, langrel shot, langrage shot, round shot, chain shot, balista, ballista, slung shot, trebucbet, trebucket, bullet, slug, stone, brickbat, grenade, shell, bomb, carcass, rocket, congreve, congreve rocket, shrapnel, mitraille, levin bolt, levin brand, thunderbolt, pike, lance, spear, spontoon, javelin, dart, jereed, jerid, arrow, reed, shaft, bolt, boomerang, harpoon, gaff, eelspear, oxgoad, weet-weet, wommerah, cattle prod, chemical mace, en flute, nervos belli pecuniam infinitam.

Destruction

VB be destroyed, perish, fall to the ground, tumble, topple, go to pieces, fall to pieces, break up, crumble to dust, go to the dogs, go to the wall, go to smash, go to shivers, go to wreck, go to pot, go to wrack and ruin, go by the board, go all to smash, be all over, be all up, be all with, totter to its fall, destroy, do away with, make away with, nullify, annual, sacrifice, demolish, tear up, overturn, overthrow, overwhelm, upset, subvert, put an end to, seal the doom of, do in, do for, dish, undo, break up, cut up, break down, cut down, pull down, mow down, blow down, beat down, suppress, quash, put down, do a job on, cut short, take off, blot out, dispel, dissipate, dissolve, consume, smash, crash, quell, squash, squelch, crumple up, shatter, shiver, batter to pieces, tear to pieces, crush to pieces, cut to pieces, shake to pieces, pull to pieces, pick to pieces, laniate, nip, tear to rags, tear to tatters, crush to atoms, knock to atoms, ruin, strike out, throw over, knock down over, fell, sink, swamp, scuttle, wreck, shipwreck, engulf, ingulf, submerge, lay in ashes, lay in ruins, sweep away, erase, wipe out, expunge, raze, level with the dust, level with the ground, waste, atomize, vaporize, deal destruction, desolate, devastate, lay waste, ravage gut, disorganize, dismantle, devour, swallow up, sap, mine, blast, bomb, blow to smithereens, drop the big one, confound, exterminate, extinguish, quench, annihilate, snuff out, put out, stamp out, trample out, lay in the dust, trample in the dust, prostrate, tread under foot, crush under foot, trample under foot, lay the ax to the root of, make short work of, make clean sweep of, make mincemeat of, cut up root and branch, chop into pieces, cut into ribbons, fling to the winds, scatter to the winds, throw overboard, strike at the root of, sap the foundations of, spring a mine, blow up, ravage with fire and sword, cast to the dogs, eradicate.

Wit

VB joke, jest, crack a joke, make a joke, jape, cut jokes, perpetrate a joke, pun, perpetrate a pun, make fun of, make merry with, kid, kid around, fool around, set the table in a roar, retort, banter, ridentem dicere verum, joke at one's expense, take in jest, bomb, fall flat, go over like a lead balloon.