SYNONYMS mXTlifMfr explode

blow up ♦ go off ♦ burst * erupt * rupture ♦implode

These are all words that can be used when sth bursts apart violently, causing damage or injury. I^±#is]i^

mm.

explode to burst loudly and violently, causing damage; to make sth burst in this way  M

, Mm. 31 m. The jet smashed into a hillside and exploded.     o The bomb

was exploded under controlled conditions.

&frrm\mT0

blow (sth) up to be destroyed by an explosion; to destroy sth by an explosion   ( ft ) #f&: A

police officer was killed when his car blew up.

go off (of a bomb) to explode; (of a gun) to be fired ft tfr jf fc. The bomb went off in a crowded street.    «AW AIS±l#7o     GEflU When

used about guns, the choice of go off (not ‘be fired') can suggest that the gun was fired by accident. t&Htf go off ( iff#.be fired ) burst to break open or apart, especially because of pressure from inside; to make sth break in this way ft ( ft ) mm. flfcJF: That balloon’s going to burst. H

erupt (of a volcano) to throw out burning rocks and smoke; (of burning rocks and smoke) to be thrown out of a volcano ft^Ctijmffc. ( rupture {formal or medical) to burst or break apart a pipe, container or organ inside the body; to be burst or broken apart ft ( ft ) Hit. WS&SStftrt t&PMm. %m. MJf : A pipe ruptured, leaking water all over the house. -flibJcWfifcSi, iS 7 fill 7

implode to burst or explode inwards ftf«]7'll'j§,

A'J§: The windows on both sides of the room had imploded.

PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS m A bomb exploded/blew up/went off/burst.

*                   The car/plane/vehicle exploded/blew up. m A firework/rocket exploded/went off.

*                   A volcano erupted.

m A pipe/tank burst/ruptured.

a burst/ruptured appendix/artery

ex ploit verb, noun

m verb /ik'sploit/ [VN] 1 (disapproving) to treat a person or situation as an opportunity to gain an advantage for yourself  g BiHfiJ ) : He exploited his father’s

name to get himself a job.  g Sf£

fij—0 She realized that her youth and inexperi­ence were being exploited. jttLHiRflj g

Af'Jffl o 2 (disapproving) to treat sb unfairly by making them work and not giving them much in return i'J fU; JEk#: What is being done to stop employers from exploiting young people? g lu

l&A'M? 3 to use sth well in order to gain as much from it as possible          She fully exploits

the humour of her role in the play. M^Kl] 7 JEM 2$ 7/I & IK % if- % M R $( c 4 ~ sth (for sth) to develop or use sth for business or industry       Jf TffG:

countries exploiting the rainforests for hardwood A

0 No minerals have yet

been exploited in Antarctica. $3 $£      W fif IK i£ A JF A

exploit-er noun [C]

& noun /'eksploit/ [usually pi ] a brave, exciting or inter­esting act         31 Aft g ) WfrA; the

daring exploits of Roman heroes          Af&WfrA

ex ploit ation /.eksploi'teijn/ noun [U] 1 (disapproving) a situation in which sb treats sb else in an unfair way,

703   explosive

especially in order to make money from their work f i] ; WM: the exploitation of children J L M $J td ^ 2 the use of land, oil, minerals, etc.  TfA:

commercial exploitation of the mineral resources in Antarctica ft T- 4^ ^ W f§J ik A A 3 (disapproving) the fact of using a situation in order to get an advan­tage for yourself ( 7 7   &(J ) AJffl : exploitation of

the situation for his own purposes      g

Blftgtfj

exploitative /ik'sploitetiv/ (NAmE also exploit-ive /ik'sploitiv/) adj. treating sb unfairly in order to gain an advantage or to make money Mftij ex ploration /.ekspla'reijn/ noun [c, U] 1 the act of travelling through a place in order to find out about it or look for sth in it gfr jf; W.'M'. the exploration

of space     0 oil exploration (= searching

for oil in the ground)      2 an examination of sth

in order to find out about it ^       ijpj: the

book’s explorations of the human mind A 7 A A

Mwn

ex plora tory /ik'sploratri; NAmE ik'splo:rato:ri/ adj. done with the intention of examining sth in order to find out more about it U %    ; & % (ft ; U jM 1$ ; W]

& 1$ : exploratory surgery 47A O exploratory drilling for oil

ex plore <H* /ik'spd.o:(r)/ verb 1 ~ (sth) (for sth) to travel to or around an area or a country in order to learn about it ; WjS; jf A;

[VN] The city is best explored on foot.

o 0 They explored the land to the south of the Murray river. ftMMS 7 M A MIU ft W ffe K 0 0 [V] As soon as we arrived on the island we were eager to explore.        o

companies exploring for (= searching for) oil ’s] 2 [VN] to examine sth completely or carefully in order to find out more about it          if    

A; ^ it analyse : These ideas will be explored in more detail in chapter 7. 7 $SfkM

# M o 3 [VN] to feel sth with your hands or another part of the body (      ) $if, U

3ft: She explored the sand with her toes.

'kkW'lf — see also unexplored ex-plorer /ik'splo:ra(r)/ noun a person who travels to unknown places in order to find out more about them

Ex'plorer Scout noun {US) = Venture Scout ex plo sion o-w /ik'spl0U3n; NAmE-'splou-/ noun 1 [C, U] the sudden violent bursting and loud noise of sth such as a bomb exploding; the act of deliberately causing sth to explode $ ')$,   , & m ( P ) : a

bomb/nuclear/gas explosion &■&/&/'H*#        ft 0

There were two loud explosions and then the building burst into flames.     0

Bomb Squad officers carried out a controlled explosion of the device.

mS.o 0 300 people were injured in the explosion. ^ 300 A^S^A^H^o 2 [C] a large, sudden or rapid increase in the amount or number of sth ; Si Iff;    : a

population explosion An i^oan explosion of interest in learning Japanese ^ ^ 0 A ® it ^ ± 9t 3 [C] (formal) a sudden, violent expression of emotion, espe­cially anger {mm, MWiM, mn

OUTBURST

ex plo sive /ik'splausiv; -ziv; NAmE -'splou-/ adj., noun madj. 1 easily able or likely to explode MrM‘ft(ft; fTti^l 3jJ M W : an explosive device (= a bomb)      St

{ ‘j$# ) o an explosive mixture of chemicals ft 2 likely to cause violence or strong feelings of anger or hatred a potentially explosive situation

^ 3 often having sudden violent or angry feelings H Wi : an explosive temper H   H 4 increasing

suddenly and rapidly if ($ ; S If #J; M It : the explosive growth of the export market dj P A 5 (of a sound A#) sudden and loud ► ex-plo-

sive-ly adv.