ex|plo|sion

ex|plo|sion «ehk SPLOH zhuhn», noun.

1. the action of bursting (of something) with a loud noise; an exploding; blowing up: »

The explosion of the bomb shook the whole neighborhood.

2. a loud noise caused by this: »

People five miles away heard the explosion.

3. Figurative. a noisy bursting forth into sudden activity; outbreak; outburst: »

explosions of anger, an explosion of laughter.

4. Figurative. a sudden or rapid increase or growth that causes a great turmoil: »

The explosion of the world's population has created a shortage of food in many countries. ... the critical problem of controlling the urban explosion (New York Times). To cope with the current culture explosion…museums sprout wings like seraphim (Time).

5. Phonetics. the sudden audible release of the breath at the end of the articulation of a stop.

╂[< Latin explōsiō, -ōnis < explōdere; see etym. under explode (Cf. ↑explode)]