explosive

comparative more explosive · superlative most explosive

1. Able to, or likely to, explode.

   an explosive device

   Antonyms: implosive, inert, nonflammable

2. Having the character of an explosion.

   an explosive fire

   1. cellular automataOf a specific cellular automaton rule, tending to exhibit infinite and unpredictable growth when starting from finite random patterns.

      Notes: A rule set that (very probably) results in explosive growth; certainly in area if not population.

      1992 June 2, Dave Boll, “Variations on Conway's LIFE”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet)

      2 more examples

      For example, putting a 1 at (0: 1,1) will cause explosive growth in all directions, putting a 1 at (0: 0,2A) will cause pairs of diagonal cells in a 2x2 square to alternate on and off, putting a 1 at (1: 4,4) will cause all solid 1 areas to stay 1 for another cycle, etc.

      1994 April 4, Robert Andreen, “CA rules”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet)

      If the rule is further chosen so that active cells can (and must) expand on an inactive background but inactive cells can't do so on an active background (or vice versa), then non-explosive growth becomes possible.

      2003 May 12, Ilmari Karonen, “Gliders in 4-neighbor semitotalistic 2D cellular automata”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet)

3. figurativelyRapidly accelerating.

   explosive movements

   1 more example

   Near-synonym: plyometric

   Synonyms: plyometric

4. figurativelyShocking; startling.

   an explosive accusation

5. slangEasily driven to anger, usually with reference to a person.

   He has an explosive personality.

6. archaichuman sciencesSynonym of plosive.

   the explosive consonants

   Synonyms: plosive

plural explosives

1. Any explosive substance.
2. datedhuman sciencesA plosive.

   The words of these songs were either without meaning, or derived from an idiom with which Watt, a very fair linguist, had no acquaintance. The open a sound was predominant, and the explosives k and g.

   1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC