The Collaborative International Dictionary
Explode \Ex*plode"\ ([e^]ks*pl[=o]d"), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Exploded; p. pr. & vb. n. Exploding.] [L. explodere, explosum, to drive out, drive out a player by clapping; ex out + plaudere, plodere, to clap, strike, applaud: cf. OF. exploder. See Plausible.]
To become suddenly expanded into a great volume of gas or vapor; to burst violently into flame; as, gunpowder explodes.
To burst with force and a loud report; to detonate, as a shell filled with powder or the like material, or as a boiler from too great pressure of steam.
To burst forth with sudden violence and noise; as, at this, his wrath exploded.
Wiktionary
vb. (present participle of explode English)
WordNet
adj. increasing suddenly and with uncontrolled rapidity; "the world's exploding population"
(of munitions) going off; "bursting bombs"; "an exploding nuclear device"; "a spectacular display of detonating anti-tank mines" [syn: bursting, detonating]
Usage examples of "exploding".
One moment the Sergeant was screaming at his men to charge hard home, and the next he and his horse were hit by the metal gale of an exploding canister.
There was a pause, then it seemed as though the Lancers plunged into a maelstrom of exploding shells.
The wind erupted so abruptly that Sharpe half twisted in the saddle, fearing an exploding shell behind him, and as he turned there was a booming discharge of thunder that sounded like the end of time itself.
Their mouths were dry from biting into the cartridges, their lips were flecked with unburned powder, and sweat had carved clean rivulets down their faces which were blackened by the smoke and smuts from the powder exploding in their musket pans.
All they found were three dead Japanese and several weapons that had been ruined by exploding grenades.
The centaur seemed competent enough, but it was Kamahl who finished off their opponent with some kind of exploding axe.
She wanted to deny the pure craving exploding between her legs, but when his hot mouth suddenly dropped against her trembling lips she could do nothing but to submit to his seductive assault.
Out of nowhere a mind-shattering climax took her by surprise, exploding through her body with such a wild intensity she screamed out his name.
A magical, exploding shopping cart that suddenly turned you into the Amazing Electro-Boy.
Either she had thrust her arm through a window, or, more likely, had been in the path of an exploding windowpane when the blast had come.
The second man, an ordnance officer at the proving ground, had spectacularly committed suicide by exploding an atomic artillery shell, vaporizing himself and certain key comrades including his superior officer.
Rita as she finished the sentence, biting his lip to keep the erupting emotions inside his heart from exploding and ruining this last hope.
Kraaqi fighters began exploding under direct hits from the heavy weapons.
They made war with great catapults that threw fire and flame and exploding death.
His helmsman had been blown apart by a half-dozen exploding bullets and every man present on the bridge was dead.