detonation

[ det-n-ey-shuh n ]
/ ˌdɛt nˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

the act of detonating.
an explosion.
Machinery. the premature spontaneous burning of a fuel–air mixture in an internal-combustion engine due to the high temperature of air compressed in a cylinder.

Origin of detonation

1670–80; < Medieval Latin dētonātiōn- (stem of dētonātiō), equivalent to Latin dētonāt(us) (see detonate) + -iōn- -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM detonation

det·o·na·tive, adjective

Words nearby detonation

Example sentences from the Web for detonation

British Dictionary definitions for detonation

detonation
/ (ˌdɛtəˈneɪʃən) /

noun

an explosion or the act of exploding
the spontaneous combustion in an internal-combustion engine of part of the mixture before it has been reached by the flame front, causing the engine to knock
physics rapid combustion, esp that occurring within a shock wave

Derived forms of detonation

detonative, adjective