detonative
|de-to-na-tive|
/ˌdɛtəˈneɪtɪv/
cause to explode
Etymology
'detonative' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'detonare', where 'de-' meant 'down/away' and 'tonare' meant 'to thunder'.
'detonare' passed into later Romance-language forms (e.g. French 'détoner') and into English as 'detonate' in the early 19th century; the adjective 'detonative' was formed by adding the suffix '-ive' to 'detonate'.
Initially related to the idea of 'thundering' or a loud explosive sound in Latin, it evolved to mean 'to cause an explosion' and now typically denotes something that causes or relates to detonation.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
causing or capable of causing detonation; tending to explode or trigger an explosion.
The mixture proved highly detonative and required specialist handling.
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Adjective 2
relating to or characteristic of detonation or the process of detonating.
The report included several detonative mechanisms observed during the tests.
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Last updated: 2025/10/24 15:25