detonate

Borrowed from Latin detonō, detonātus. It meant "to stop thundering", e.g. as in weather (de- = "from", tonare = "to thunder"). The current English meaning seems to be a new formation in postclassical times.

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɛtəneɪt/

• Audio (Southern England)

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detonate (third-person singular simple present detonates, present participle detonating, simple past and past participle detonated)

1. (intransitive) To explode; to blow up. Specifically, to combust supersonically via shock compression.
2. (transitive) To cause to explode.

   The engineers detonated the dynamite and watched the old building collapse.

3. (intransitive, figurative) To express sudden anger.
   • 2013, Michael J. Restrepo, The Custody Officer (page 116)

     As Oscar turned to greet Yvonne, she could see every muscle in his body contract in anger. Then he detonated. “What the hell are you doing here without an appointment? […]

• blast
• discharge
• fulminate

• (with respect to speed of prorogation): deflagrate

• combust

• detonatable
• detonation
• detonator

• denotate

detonate

1. adverbial present passive participle of detonar

detonate

1. inflection of detonare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

detonate f pl

1. feminine plural of detonato

• denotate

dētonāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of dētonō