If Alberta’s reserves are a carbonbomb, this global expansion of tar sands and oil shale exploitation amounts to an escalating emissions arms race, the unlocking of a subterranean cache of weapons of mass ecological destruction.
1997, Eric L. Flom,Chaplin in the Sound Era: An Analysis of the Seven Talkies,page277:
Projection problems plaguedCountess’ London premiere on January 5, 1967, Jerry Epstein recalled, and it was perhaps an omen, for reaction by critics afterward was swift and immediate: The film was abomb.
After two weeks of driving it she knew the car was abomb and she did not need anyone saying it to her. The only one allowed to pick on her car was her.Piece of crap car[…]
'You′ve already spent abomb!' 'Noton it, Sal —under it. Presents!' As we eventually staggered up to bed, Sally said to me, 'I hope to God he's not been spending abomb on presents, too.[…]'
2011, Michael R. Häack,Passport: A Novel of International Intrigue,page47:
The kids cost abomb to feed, they eat all the time.
He had recently exchanged his old bike for a new, three speed racer, which cost abomb and the weekly payment were becoming difficult, with the dangers of repossession.
(social) Something highly effective or attractive.
2013, Brett L. Abrams, Raphael Mazzone,The Bullets, the Wizards, and Washington, DC, Basketball, page163:
With five seconds remaining, Smith received the inbounds pass and launched abomb that dropped through the net to give his team an 80-79 victory.
Acyclone whose central pressure drops at an average rate of at least one millibar per hour for at least 24 hours.
1980 October, Frederick Sanders with John R. Gyakum, “Synoptic-dynamic climatology of the 'bomb'”, inMonthly Weather Review, volume108, number10, page1596:
Abomb for this study is defined as one in which the deepening rate is the geostrophic equivalent of at least 12 mb in 12 h at 45ºN.
(chemistry) A heavy-walled container designed to permit chemical reactions under high pressure.
2008, François Cardarelli,Materials Handbook: A Concise Desktop Reference,page276:
The process consisted in preparing the metal by metallothermic reduction of titanium tetrachloride with sodium metal in a steelbomb.
1627 (indicated as1626),Francis [Bacon], “II. Century.”, inSylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries.[…], London:[…]William Rawley[…];[p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee[…],→OCLC, paragraph 151,page47:
a Pillar of Iron[…] Which if you had ſtrucke[…] it would make a greatBombe in theChamber beneath.
The diametrical slang meanings are somewhat distinguishable by the article. For “a success”, the phrase is generallythe bomb. Otherwisebomb can mean “a failure”.
2000, Canadian Peace Research Institute, Canadian Peace Research and Education Association,Peace Research, Volumes 32-33,page 65,
15 May: US jetsbombed air-defence sites north of Mosul, as the Russian Foreign Ministry accused the US and Britain of intentionallybombing civilian targets. (AP)
2005, Howard Zinn,A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present,page421:
Italy hadbombed cities in the Ethiopian war; Italy and Germany hadbombed civilians in the Spanish Civil War; at the start of World War II German planes dropped bombs on Rotterdam in Holland, Coventry in England, and elsewhere.
2007, David Parker,Hertfordshire Children in War and Peace, 1914-1939,page59:
Essendon wasbombed in the early hours of 3 September 1916; a few houses and part of the church were destroyed, and two sisters killed.
2022 September 9, HarryBlank, “The Mausoleum at Ipperwash”, inSCP Foundation[2], archived fromthe original on27 May 2024:
Dr. Ngo: Did you ever find out where the smugglers were smugglingfrom?
<Silence on recording.>
Dr. Ngo: Chief? Did you ev—
Chief Ibanez: No, and I neverwill, because as I tried to tell you at the start, when I was sixteen the Chaos Insurgencybombed us into the fucking ground.
2022 May 7, Ray Brewer, “Henderson native takes another step toward his soccer dreams with spot on Lights' roster”, inLas Vegas Sun[3]:
School days have been missed or cut short many times to accommodate soccer travel through the years, but this return felt different. Photos posted on his social media documenting the experience were seen by classmates, many of whombombed him with questions about his future in the sport.
The calendar was selling Moctezuma beer, so I had one of them in her honor while Murraybombed himself with the mezcal.
1995,Four Rooms (film)
TED: The champagne you ordered, sir. MAN: No time for this. Leave it on ice. WIFE: But I want some now... MAN: There'll be plenty for you at the party, baby, you canbomb yourself all you want at the party.
So Hall quit the job, turned in the company car and went to Chicago, where as a stand-up comic hebombed several times before he was discovered by Nancy Wilson, who took him on the road — where hebombed again before a room of Republicans—and then to Los Angeles.
2000, Carmen Infantino, Jon B. Cooke (interviewer),The Carmen Infantino Interview, in Jon B. Cooke, Neal Adams,Comic Book Artist Collection,page 12,
Carmen:[…] Then itbombed and itbombed badly. After a few more issues I asked Mike what was happening and he said, “I′m trying everything I can but it′s just not working.” So I took him off the book and he left. That was it.
2008, Erik Sternberger,The Long and Winding Road,page62:
She was the reason why hebombed the interview. He just couldn′t seem to get her out of his mind.
When things weren't going Alison's way at work — some editor wanted something changed or her computerbombed again — she'd cuss and yell at whoever happened to be in the way.
Stanley, Oma (1937) “I. Vowel Sounds in Stressed Syllables”, inThe Speech of East Texas (American Speech: Reprints and Monographs; 2),New York:Columbia University Press,→DOI,→ISBN,§ 7, page17.
