Causing an explosion by igniting or triggering a bomb, explosive device, or explosive material with a sudden violent release of energy.
From Latin 'detonare' (to thunder down), derived from 'de-' (down) plus 'tonare' (to thunder). The '-ing' makes it present participle.
The word literally means 'thundering down'—the same root gives us 'tone' and 'tonic,' so detonation is literally sound and force coming down explosively, which is exactly what happens in an explosion!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.