{
    "term": "explosion",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "the sudden violent bursting and loud noise of something such as a bomb exploding; the act of deliberately causing something to explode",
            "sensetop": "in an explosionexplosion of something",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a **bomb/nuclear/gas explosion**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "There were two loud explosions and then the building burst into flames."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a **huge/massive explosion**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Bomb Squad officers carried out a **controlled explosion** of the device."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Some witnesses said they heard an explosion before the plane hit the ground."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The accused denies conspiring to **cause an explosion**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "300 people were injured in the explosion.",
                    "contextForm": "in an explosion"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a spectacular explosion of fireworks",
                    "contextForm": "explosion of something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "A huge explosion rocked the entire building."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The build-up of gas caused a small explosion."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The explosion caused major structural damage."
                },
                {
                    "text": "A massive explosion ripped through the chemical works."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The explosion sent a large cloud of smoke and dust into the air."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The world changed with the explosion of the first atomic bomb."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["War and conflict"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["almighty", "big", "deafening"],
                "verb + explosion": ["cause", "create", "set off"],
                "explosion + verb": ["come", "happen", "occur"],
                "preposition": ["in an/​the explosion"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a large, sudden or rapid increase in the amount or number of something",
            "sensetop": "explosion of somethingexplosion in something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a population explosion"
                },
                {
                    "text": "an explosion of interest in learning Japanese",
                    "contextForm": "explosion of something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "an explosion in oil prices",
                    "contextForm": "explosion in something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "How can we keep up with the information explosion?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "If no action is taken, the country runs the risk of a social explosion."
                },
                {
                    "text": "In the 1860s a veritable explosion of major scientific publications took place."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a great explosion of creativity"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a sudden explosion in the number of students"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I believe we will see an explosion in lawsuits of this kind."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["sudden", "great", "veritable"],
                "verb + explosion": ["see", "witness"],
                "explosion + verb": ["occur", "take place"],
                "preposition": ["explosion in", "explosion of"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "a sudden, violent expression of emotion, especially anger",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Do you know what brought on that explosion?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Demonstrators clashed with riot police in an explosion of anger at live animal exports."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The shock waves of this political explosion engulfed the whole of Europe."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪkˈspləʊʒn/",
                "audio": "ex/explosion/explosion__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪkˈspləʊʒn/",
                "audio": "ex/explosion/explosion__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "early 17th cent.: from Latin explosio(n-) ‘scornful rejection’, from the verb explodere ‘drive out by clapping, hiss off the stage’, from ex- ‘out’ + plaudere ‘to clap’."
}