detonation-inhibiting
|de-to-na-tion-in-hib-it-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˌdɛtəˈneɪʃən ɪnˈhɪbɪtɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˌdetəˈneɪʃ(ə)n ɪnˈhɪbɪtɪŋ/
preventing an explosion
Etymology
'detonation-inhibiting' originates from Modern English, specifically from the noun 'detonation' and the present-participle form of the verb 'inhibit' ('inhibiting'): 'detonation' referring to an explosion and 'inhibit' meaning to restrain or hold back.
'detonation' derives from Late Latin 'detonare' (from de- 'down/away' + tonare 'to thunder'); 'detonate' entered English in the 19th century and formed 'detonation'; 'inhibit' comes from Latin 'inhibēre' (in- + habēre 'to hold'), passing into English via Old French/Latin influence. The compound adjective 'detonation-inhibiting' formed in Modern English by combining these elements to describe something that restrains detonation.
Initially the components referred separately to 'an explosion' ('detonation') and 'to hold back' ('inhibit'); over time the compound came to mean specifically 'having the property of preventing or slowing an explosion' in technical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
acting to prevent, reduce, or slow down detonation (an explosion or rapid combustion); having properties that inhibit the initiation or propagation of a detonation.
The detonation-inhibiting coating greatly decreased the risk of accidental explosions in storage.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/01 20:41