thermobaric

adjective

ther·​mo·​bar·​ic ˌthər-mə-ˈbär-ik How to pronounce thermobaric (audio)
-ˈber-ik,
-ˈba-rik
of a weapon
: containing a charge of fuel designed to ignite and combine with oxygen present in the atmosphere to produce a prolonged explosion
Rather than fight their way into such caverns, U.S. forces have preferred to drop specialized … weapons, including thermobaric bombs that emit clouds of powdered fuel and ignite them, sending waves of heat and pressure through caverns and depleting the oxygen inside.Peter Baker and Pamela Constable

Examples of thermobaric in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
FPVs with thermobaric warheads blast Russian bunkers and trenches; flamethrowing FPV ‘dragon drones’ burn up tree lines and defensive positions. David Hambling, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024 Some Ukrainian FPVs now carry thermobaric warheads. David Hambling, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024 Volumetric weapons are also known as vacuum bombs, thermobaric weapons or fuel-air explosives. Brad Lendon, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 Others were equipped with gas canisters, handcuffs and thermobaric grenades designed to instantly turn houses into infernos. Joby Warrick, Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2023 See all Example Sentences for thermobaric 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Russian termobaricheskiy, from termo- thermo- + -baricheskiy, as in izobaricheskiy isobaric

First Known Use

1998, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thermobaric was in 1998

Dictionary Entries Near thermobaric

Cite this Entry

“Thermobaric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thermobaric. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!