hydrogen bomb

noun

: a bomb whose violent explosive power is due to the sudden release of atomic energy resulting from the fusion of light nuclei (as of hydrogen atoms) at very high temperature and pressure to form helium nuclei

Examples of hydrogen bomb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The missile sites, intended to potentially intercept a Soviet plane carrying a hydrogen bomb, operated from the early 1950s until their decommissioning in 1971. Marin Independent Journal, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2025 However, while fusion is relatively easy to achieve in the heart of the sun or in a hydrogen bomb, creating a practical reactor that produces more energy than is put into it is another matter entirely. David Szondy, New Atlas, 18 Feb. 2025 In 1968, an American B-52G Stratofortress bomber, carrying four hydrogen bombs, crashed onto the sea ice near Thule after a crew member started a fire by stuffing seat cushions in front of a heating vent. Louise Bokkenheuser, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2025 North Korea likely has the ability to produce a small number of hydrogen bombs. Siegfried S. Hecker, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2017 See All Example Sentences for hydrogen bomb

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hydrogen bomb was in 1947

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Cite this Entry

“Hydrogen bomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrogen%20bomb. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

hydrogen bomb

noun
: a bomb whose violent explosive power is due to the sudden release of atomic energy when hydrogen nuclei unite

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