high explosive

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high explosive

An explosive, such as TNT, that combusts nearly instantaneously, thereby producing a violent, shattering effect.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

high explosive

(Chemistry) an extremely powerful chemical explosive, such as TNT or gelignite

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

high′ explo′sive

an explosive, as TNT, with a violent, swift reaction, used in shells and bombs.

[1875–80]

high′-ex•plo′sive, adj.

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Noun

high explosive - a powerful chemical explosive that produces gas at a very high rate

bursting explosive, disrupting explosive - a high explosive that is used to damage the target that is under attack

explosive - a chemical substance that undergoes a rapid chemical change (with the production of gas) on being heated or struck

W.M.D., weapon of mass destruction, WMD - a weapon that kills or injures civilian as well as military personnel (nuclear and chemical and biological weapons)

low explosive - an explosive with a low rate of combustion

Translations

high explosive

n → esplosivo ad alto potenziale

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

References in classic literature ?

Repeated experiments with it determined me that in searching for a high explosive, Perry had stumbled upon a fire-extinguisher that would have made his fortune for him back in our own world.

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Not only did these German battleships outnumber the Americans two to one, but they were more heavily armed and more modern in construction--seven of them having high explosive engines built of Charlottenburg steel, and all carrying Charlottenburg steel guns.

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The three Marys were considered as dangerous as high explosives to have about the kitchen, yet they were such good cooks and such admirable housekeepers that they never had to look for a place.

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Those who were non-experts in high explosives expected that every pane of glass in New York would be shattered.

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Any further cylinders that fell, it was hoped, could be destroyed at once by high explosives, which were being rap- idly manufactured and distributed.

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The seized items includes 50 Kilogram of high explosive, 400 non-electric detonators, six packs safety fuse wires.

Police seize 50 Kg high explosive to be used in terrorist activity

The recovered explosive materials include 50 kg of high explosive, 400 non electric detonators and 6 bundle of safety fuse wire.

Kohat Police foils terror bid

One of the contracts is a P25.2-million deal to provide 2.75-inch rockets with high explosive warheads.

With P50M, Navy shops for rockets

Expert reports concluded that the confiscated devices are explosives containing a mixture of nitroglycerin and nitrocellulose, a high explosive mixture classified as a type of dynamite, and capable of destroying property and lives, which can be made using materials confiscated from the warehouse.

Appeal Court commutes life sentence

The city was also the first place in the country to find a more efficient way of creating large amounts of the high explosive TNT (or tri-nitrotoulene).

COLOSSAL EFFORT OF NECHELLS GAS WORKS; AMONG the weapons produced by Birmingham in the war effort was a huge amount of explosives, sufficient to fill up to 30 million huge 18-pounder shells with which the Royal Field Artillery bombarded the enemy. And it was all inspired by engineers at Nechells Gas Works. JUSTINE HALIFAXreports

The engineering team also found, during dismantling the explosive device, high explosive wires of T.C.H type and defused them shortly before explosion, al-Mugales said.

4 kg explosive device defused in Aden province

Coimbatore, Oct 20 ( ANI ): Eight Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured when a high explosive device detonated accidentally during a training exercise in Coimbatore .