Library / English Dictionary

BOMBARD

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A large shawm; the bass member of the shawm family

Synonyms:

bombard; bombardon

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("bombard" is a kind of...):

bass (the member with the lowest range of a family of musical instruments)

shawm (a medieval oboe)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Direct high energy particles or radiation against

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "bombard" is one way to...):

irradiate; ray (expose to radiation)

Domain category:

natural philosophy; physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Address with continuously or persistently, as if with a barrage

Example:

The governor was bombarded with requests to grant a pardon to the convicted killer

Synonyms:

barrage; bombard

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "bombard" is one way to...):

assail; assault; attack; lash out; round; snipe (attack in speech or writing)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

barrage; bombardment (the rapid and continuous delivery of linguistic communication (spoken or written))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Throw bombs at or attack with bombs

Example:

The Americans bombed Dresden

Synonyms:

bomb; bombard

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Hypernyms (to "bombard" is one way to...):

assail; attack (launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bombard"):

carpet bomb (bomb a large area systematically and extensively)

bomb out (make somebody homeless by destroying their houses with bombs)

dive-bomb (bomb from a diving airplane)

glide-bomb (bomb by gliding)

skip-bomb (attack with delayed release bombs)

atom-bomb; nuke (bomb with atomic weapons)

hydrogen-bomb (attack with a hydrogen bomb)

pattern-bomb (bomb in certain patterns)

atomise; atomize; nuke; zap (strike at with firepower or bombs)

letter bomb (send an explosive to)

firebomb (attack with incendiary bombs)

blast; shell (use explosives on)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

bombardment (an attack by dropping bombs)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Cast, hurl, or throw repeatedly with some missile

Example:

They pelted each other with snowballs

Synonyms:

bombard; pelt

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "bombard" is one way to...):

throw (propel through the air)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bombard"):

lapidate (throw stones at)

snowball (throw snowballs at)

egg (throw eggs at)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody with something

Credits

 Context examples: 

If it please you, my fair lord, there are in this corner two great tubes of iron, with many heavy balls, which may perchance be those bombards and shot of which I have heard.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But let it be sword, lance, or bolt that strikes me down: for I should think it shame to die from an iron ball from the fire-crake or bombard or any such unsoldierly weapon, which is only fitted to scare babes with its foolish noise and smoke.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)