bombproof

English

Etymology

From bomb +‎ -proof.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

bombproof (comparative more bombproof, superlative most bombproof)

1. Sufficiently strong to resist the effects of a blast from a bomb.

   bombproof buildings

2. (informal, figurative) Very sturdy; as if built to resist the effects of a blast from a bomb.

   Steve's steel-frame mountain bike is heavy and slow, but it's bombproof.

Synonyms

• shellproof

Translations

sufficiently strong to resist the effects of a blast from a bomb

Dutch: bomvrij (nl) Finnish: pomminkestävä German: bombensicher (de) Hungarian: bombabiztos (hu) Italian: a prova di bomba Norwegian: Bokmål: bombesikker Nynorsk: bombesikker Polish: bomboodporny Spanish: a prueba de bombas Swedish: bombsäker (sv)

Noun

bombproof (plural bombproofs)

1. An air-raid shelter, a structure designed to give protection against air raids and bombs.
   • 1915, Edward Lyell Fox, Behind the Scenes in Warring Germany:

     As I waded through the mud to go down into the bombproof, it struck me uneasily that our officers glanced at each other.

   • 1994, Stephen R. Wise, Gate of Hell: Campaign for Charleston Harbor, 1863, page 160:

     At night, when the Federal guns slowed their fire, the men created new traverses and bombproofs.

   • 2014, Kevin Dougherty, Military Leadership Lessons of the Charleston Campaign, 1861-1865:

     It mounted a 10-inch Columbiad and two 32-pounders on the sea face, with field guns and other 32-pounders elsewhere. In addition to this armament, it contained two bombproofs.

Synonyms

• air-raid shelter
• bomb shelter

Translations

air-raid shelter — see air-raid shelter

Verb

bombproof (third-person singular simple present bombproofs, present participle bombproofing, simple past and past participle bombproofed)

1. (transitive) To make resistant to bomb blasts.