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mical action which causes the sudden formation of a great volume of expanded gas; as, the explosion of gunpowder, of fire damp,etc.

An irrespirable gas, remaining after an explosion of fire damp in mines; choke damp. See Carbonic acid.

A premature explosion in the cylinder of a gas or oil engine during the exhaust or the compression stroke, tending to drive the piston in a direction reverse to that in which it should travel; also, an explosion in the exhaust passages of such ah engine.

The act of rending, or attempting to rend, heavy masses of rock, earth, etc., by the explosion of gunpowder, dynamite, etc.; also, the charge used for this purpose. "Large blasts are often used." Tomlinson.

ds have blown over. -- To blow up, to be torn to pieces and thrown into the air as by an explosion of powder or gas or the expansive force of steam; to burst; to explode; as, a powder mill or steam boiler blows up. "The enemy's magazines blew up." Tatler.

lled with bombs, or only with gunpowder, placed under ground, to cause destruction by its explosion. -- Bomb ketch, Bomb vessel (Naut.), a small ketch or vessel, very strongly built, on which mortars are mounted to be used in naval bombardments; -- called also mortar vessel. -- Bomb lance, a lance or harpoon with an…

is applied to other related species, as the B. displosor, which can produce ten or twelve explosions successively. The common American species is B. fumans.

An explosion, or the noise of one. [Obs.]

A sudden breaking forth; a violent rending; an explosion; as, a burst of thunder; a burst of applause; a burst of passion; a burst of inspiration. Bursts of fox-hunting melody. W. Irving.

osition of organic substances, or other substances containing carbon. It is formed in the explosion of fire damp in mines, and is hance called after damp; it is also know as choke damp, and mephilic air. Water will absorb its own volume of it, and more than this under pressure, and in this state becomes the common soda…

A burst of sound; a sudden explosion. Horrible claps of thunder. Hakewill.

ion of causes, reaching even to the illicit acts of man's will. South. A concatenation of explosions. W. Irving.

The pit left by the explosion of a mine.

To make a series of small, sharp, rapidly repeated explosions or sounds, as salt in fire; to crackle; to snap.

n with a sudden and sparkling combustion, as niter; also, to snap and crackle with slight explosions when heated, as salt.

An explosion or sudden report made by the instantaneous decomposition or combustion of unstable substances' as, the detonation of gun cotton.

To explode, or cause to explode; to burn with an explosion; to detonate.

ession; language; as, the diction of Chaucer's poems. His diction blazes up into a sudden explosion of prophetic grandeur. De Quincey.

Firing off; explosive removal of a charge; explosion; letting off; as, a discharge of arrows, of artillery.

Explosion. The vast displosion dissipates the clouds. Young.