high explosive
Detonates with force
High explosive refers to explosive materials that detonate rather than merely burn—the blast wave travels faster than the speed of sound through the material.
TNT, dynamite, and C-4 are high explosives, distinguished from low explosives like gunpowder that deflagrate more slowly.
The term appears in military and demolition contexts: The bomb contained several pounds of high explosive.
Powerful blasting compound
- dynamitePowerful blasting compound
- nitroglycerinExplosive compound, cardiac drug
- C4Moldable military explosive
- SemtexMoldable Czech explosive
ammonium nitrate · nitrocellulose · cordite · gelignite · trinitrotoluene
Explosive ignition event
- shockwavePropagating pressure disturbance
- overpressurePressure exceeding ambient levels
- blast wavePressure surge from detonation
- concussionBrain injury from impact
fragmentation · crater · fireball · pressure wave · supersonic · compression · devastation · destruction
Explosive initiation device
- warheadMunition's explosive section
- shellHard outer covering
- artilleryLarge-caliber battlefield weapons
- grenadeHandheld thrown explosive
missile · torpedo · ordnance · ammunition · mine · depth charge · bomb · mortar
Deliberate structural destruction
- quarryPit for extracting rock
- miningExtracting earth's resources
- excavationAct of unearthing
- tunnelingDigging underground passages
charge · borehole · controlled demolition · breaching · blasting cap · primer · seismic · implosion
TNT
Powerful blasting compound
- dynamitePowerful blasting compound
- nitroglycerinExplosive compound, cardiac drug
- C4Moldable military explosive
Semtex · ammonium nitrate · nitrocellulose · cordite · gelignite · trinitrotoluene
detonation
Explosive ignition event
- shockwavePropagating pressure disturbance
- overpressurePressure exceeding ambient levels
- blast wavePressure surge from detonation
concussion · fragmentation · crater · fireball · pressure wave · supersonic · compression · devastation · destruction · blast radius
detonator
Explosive initiation device
- warheadMunition's explosive section
- shellHard outer covering
- artilleryLarge-caliber battlefield weapons
grenade · missile · torpedo · ordnance · ammunition · mine · depth charge · bomb · mortar · rocket
demolition
Deliberate structural destruction
- quarryPit for extracting rock
- miningExtracting earth's resources
- excavationAct of unearthing
tunneling · charge · borehole · controlled demolition · breaching · blasting cap · primer · seismic · implosion · stemming
- naval gunnerynaval gun, cannons, gunnery drills, guns, naval guns
- ballisticsballistics, bullet, bullet drop, cartridge, trajectory
- artillerycannons, cannon, howitzers, howitzer, mortars
- gunfireshoot, gunshot, artillery fire, fire, gunfire
- Heavy Weaponscannon, howitzer, artillery piece, tank gun, field gun
- nuclear weaponsatomic bomb, atom bomb, warheads, hydrogen bomb, a-bomb
high explosivepropellant
Substance creating thrust
rocket propellant · rocket fuel · fuel · incendiary · pyrotechnic
high, highlight, higher, highest, explode, explosion, explosive, heighten, exploded