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Theatergoers in ancient Rome could be noisy in showing both their enjoyment and their dislike of a performance. One of the ways they made noise was by clapping their hands loudly. The Latin verb plaudere meant “to make a noise by loud clapping.” When Romans were showing their approval of a performance, the word used was applaudere, from which we get our English word applaud. When Romans did not like a performance, they often drove the performer from the stage by loud claps. The word for this was explodere or explaudere, from the prefix ex-, meaning “out, away,” and plaudere. From this word we get our English word explode. At first, explode meant “to drive from the stage by a noisy expression of dislike,” but this sense has all but disappeared.
Examples of explode in a Sentence
Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 18 June 2024
In the last year, prosecutors charged more than double the number of juveniles with auto theft or carjacking, while youth robbery cases exploded almost 500%.
—Wanda Keyes Heard, Baltimore Sun, 17 June 2024
The tapestry shows this event in all of its glory, with the volcanoes exploding and dragons falling out of the sky.
—Alexis Nedd, IndieWire, 17 June 2024
During her break from public duties from December to March, salacious conspiracy theories exploded on social media about the true nature of her whereabouts.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 17 June 2024
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“Explode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/explode. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
explode
verb
from Latin explaudere "to drive off the stage by clapping," from ex- "out, away" and plaudere "to clap" — related to applaud, plaudit, plausible see Word History at plausible
Medical Definition
explode
verb
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