A bomb

A bomb

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Pronunciation

The IPA phonetic spelling for "A bomb" is /eɪ bɒm/.

Here's the breakdown of the sounds for each syllable:

• A: /eɪ/ (as in "day")

• bomb: /bɒm/ (as in "Tom" with a 'b' sound at the beginning)

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Word Form Variations

"A bomb" is a compound noun, typically referring to an atomic bomb. As such, its variations are primarily related to number:

• Singular: A bomb, an A-bomb (when used as an initialism)

• Plural: A-bombs, atomic bombs

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Noun

1. Definition: A highly destructive weapon that derives its explosive force from nuclear fission, causing immense damage through blast, heat, and radiation.

• Synonyms: Atomic bomb, nuclear bomb, fission bomb.

• Antonyms: Conventional weapon, non-nuclear weapon.

2. Definition: (Figurative, informal) Something or someone that has an extremely powerful or devastating impact.

• Synonyms: Catastrophe, disaster, bombshell, shocker.

• Antonyms: Blessing, boon, relief.

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Examples of Use

• Newspapers: "Seventy-nine years after the U.S. dropped an A-bomb on Hiroshima, survivors and peace activists gathered to commemorate the victims and call for nuclear disarmament." ( The Japan Times, August 2024)

• Books: "In his seminal work, The Making of the Atomic Bomb, Richard Rhodes meticulously details the scientific breakthroughs and ethical dilemmas that led to the creation of the A-bomb."

• Online Publications: "Could North Korea really develop an A-bomb capable of reaching the continental United States? Experts weigh in on the capabilities and implications." ( Foreign Affairs, July 2025)

• Entertainment Mediums (Film): The historical drama Oppenheimer extensively depicts the development of the A-bomb and its devastating consequences.

• Entertainment Mediums (Video Game): In the strategy game Fallout, the post-apocalyptic world is a direct result of a global conflict involving multiple A-bombs.

• General Public Discourse: "The idea of mutually assured destruction, or MAD, was a key deterrent during the Cold War, where the use of even one A-bomb would likely trigger a global nuclear response."

• General Public Discourse: "When the news of the company's financial collapse broke, it hit the stock market like an A-bomb, causing widespread panic and sell-offs."

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10 Famous Quotes Using A bomb

1. "I made one great mistake in my life, when I signed a letter to President Roosevelt recommending that atom bombs be made." (Albert Einstein, recounted by Linus Pauling in a July 28, 1969 letter to Ronald W. Clark)

2. "The atom bomb is a paper tiger which the United States reactionaries use to scare people. It looks terrible, but in fact it isn't." (Mao Zedong)

3. "No country without an atom bomb could properly consider itself independent." (Charles de Gaulle)

4. "The only use for an atomic bomb is to keep somebody else from using one." (George Wald)

5. "New needs need new techniques. And the modern artists have found new ways and new means of making their statements... the modern painter cannot express this age, the airplane, the atom bomb, the radio, in the old forms of the Renaissance or of any other past culture." (Jackson Pollock)

6. "How do we prevent Iran developing an atomic bomb, when, on the American side, dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is not recognised as a war crime?" (Günter Grass)

7. "Israel is in the grip of a ghetto mentality. We have a powerful army. We have the atomic bomb. But the psychology of what comes out of Israel has the tone of the Warsaw Ghetto." (Daniel Barenboim)

8. "If atomic bombs are to be added as new weapons to the arsenals of a warring world, or to the arsenals of nations preparing for war, then the time will come when mankind will curse the names of Los Alamos and of Hiroshima." (J. Robert Oppenheimer)

9. "The Japanese began the war from the air at Pearl Harbor. They have been repaid many fold. And the end is not yet. With this bomb we have now added a new and revolutionary increase in destruction to supplement the growing power of our armed forces." (Harry S. Truman, August 6, 1945)

10. "I don't think they got it wrong with Saddam Hussein. They thought he had the A-Bomb. Instead he had a bomb." (Jimmy Carr)

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Etymology

The word "A-bomb" is a shortened and more common way of saying "atomic bomb."

• "Atomic" comes from the word "atom," which is the basic building block of all matter.

• "Bomb" comes from the Latin word "bombus," meaning a deep, hollow sound or a buzzing. It later evolved to mean an explosive device.

So, when put together, an "atomic bomb" literally means an explosive device that gets its power from splitting atoms.

The term "atomic bomb" and its shortened form "A-bomb" came into widespread use during and immediately after World War II, specifically in reference to the powerful weapons developed and used in 1945. The first known use of "atomic bomb" was actually much earlier, in 1914 by H.G. Wells in his novel The World Set Free, where he imagined a future with such a weapon. However, it was truly the events of 1945 that brought the term into common vocabulary with its devastating real-world meaning.

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Phrases + Idioms Containing A bomb

• Drop an A-bomb (on something/someone): To deliver a devastating piece of news or take a highly impactful action.

• Like an A-bomb hit: Describes a scene of complete destruction or chaos.

• The A-bomb of truth: Refers to a revelation that has an undeniable and shattering impact.

• Sitting on an A-bomb: To be in a highly volatile or dangerous situation where an explosion (figuratively or literally) is imminent.

• A nuclear option: (Using a synonym, "nuclear") A last resort, extreme measure, or ultimate choice in a difficult situation, implying massive and potentially destructive consequences.

• Going critical: (Relating to a nuclear reaction) Reaching a point where a situation becomes self-sustaining and potentially uncontrollable, often with negative implications.

• The atomic age: Refers to the historical period beginning after the first atomic bombs were developed, characterized by the existence of nuclear weapons and nuclear power.

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

Definition of A bomb from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

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