v. [ad. L. explōdĕre, explaudĕre to drive out by clapping, hiss (a player) off the stage, f. ex- out + plaudĕre to clap: cf. APPLAUD, PLAUDIT. Cotgr. 1611 has Fr. exploder in sense 1.
With the non-Lat. senses 4–6 cf. late L. displōdĕre (see DISPLODE) used of the bursting of a bladder. Senses 5 and 6, now the prevailing senses, are not recognized by Johnson.]
† 1. trans. To clap and hoot (a player, play, etc.) off the stage; hence gen. to drive away with expressions of disapprobation; to cry down; to banish ignominiously. Also fig. Const. from, out of, and with double obj. Obs.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., Democr. to Rdr. (1651), 19. Vertue and Wisdom gave place, were hissed out, and exploded by the common people.
1663. Cowley, Verses & Ess. (1669), 69. Why they did not hiss, and explode him off the Stage.
1670. Moral State Eng., 12. Religion is a thing they explode conversation.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, IV. vi. In the playhouse … when he doth wrong, no critic is so apt to hiss and explode him.
a. 1785. Glover, Athenaid, XXX. 93 (1797), III. 261.
| Of justice and religion, truth and peace | |
| He [Enoch] spake exploded. |
1823. Lamb, Elia, Artif. Comedy, Wks. 402. Congreve and Farquhar show their heads once in seven years only, to be exploded and put down.
[1849. W. Fitzgerald, trans. Whitaker’s Disput., 21. Who would not cry out against and explode the patrons of Cerinthus.]
† b. To mock at, deride. Obs. rare.
1618. Chapman, Hesiod, II. 34/570.
| When thou hast once begun to build a house, | |
| Leau’t not vnfinisht, lest the Ominous, | |
| Ill-spoken Crowe, encounter thee abroad, | |
| And from her bow, thy meanes outgone, explode. |
† c. Of a thing: To cause to be hooted (off the stage). nonce-use.
1768. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), I. 335. The absurdity … was so glaring, that it has quite exploded that notion off the stage.
2. To reject with scorn (an opinion, proposal, custom). Also in weaker sense: To reject, discard. Obs. exc. in passive, which is still occas. used with the sense: To be disused, to be rejected as obsolete (cf. 3).
1538. Leland, Itin., V. 56. When Glan is set with a worde præceding G is exploded.
1609. Bacon, Case of Post-nati, Wks. 1803, IV. 343. But the court una voce exploded this reason, and said [etc.].
1696. Tryon, Misc., xliv. 99. Not that I wholly Explode Astrology; I believe there is something in it.
1739. Labelye, Short Acc. Piers Westm. Bridge, 46. This Method of building … having been exploded by the Hon. Board as insufficient.
1790. Bewick, Quadrupeds (1807), 55. This breed is now nearly exploded, being considered … as unprofitable.
1822. Imison, Sc. & Art, I. 132. These effects … were formerly attributed to suction; a word which ought to be exploded.
1850. Daubeny, Atom. The., iii. (ed. 2), 94. As new views came into vogue, or old errors became exploded.
1861. Elsie Garrett, in Gd. Words, 410/2. The old airs … are exploded for Italian bravuras.
3. To cause to be rejected; to bring into disrepute; to expose the hollowness of; to discredit; † to bring into disuse.
Now often associated with sense 6; hence it tends to be restricted to cases in which the fig. use of that sense would be applicable.
a. 1635. Naunton, Fragm. Reg. (Arb.), 43. The Priests forged Letter … was soon after exploded by the Priests own confession.
1764. Mem. G. Psalmanazar, 203. I was farther hired to explode their doctrine of predestination.
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), III. 173. The famous crown-piece … did not explode the others.
1808. Med. Jrnl., XIX. 266. Cullen … laboured to explode the humoral pathology.
1846. Wright, Ess. Mid. Ages, I. iii. 97. Their existence has entirely exploded the old notion that England never possessed any native romances.
1872. Liddon, Elem. Relig., i. 30. When the idol has been pulverized and the lie is exploded.
1881. Williamson, in Nature, No. 626. 607. I thought that I had thoroughly exploded that fallacy.
† 4. a. To drive forth (air); to emit. b. To drive out with violence and sudden noise. Obs.
a. 1660. Boyle, New. Exp. Phys. Mech., 352. The inspired Air … when ’tis exploded, carrys them away with it self.
1676. H. More, Remarks, 174. The smallest charge of Gunpowder will, when it is fired, explode the Bullet with equal force.
1731. E. Baynard, Health (1740), 28.
| That Air again the Lungs explode, | |
| When robbed of its nitrous Load. |
b. 1671. R. Bohun, Wind, 300. These Raging Minerals … are exploded with the greatest violence.
1679. Plot, Staffordsh. (1686), 15. The effects of Lightning, exploded from the Clouds.
1712. Blackmore, Creation, V. (ed. 2), 257. The kindled Powder did explode The massy Ball.
1755. in Johnson.
1807. Southey, Espriella’s Lett., III. 324. Pieces of this [earth-coal] are frequently exploded into the room.
1813. Southey, Nelson (1844), 154. The vast height to which they [masts] had been exploded.
1826. [see EXPLODED ppl. a. 3].
5. intr. To ‘go off’ with a loud noise. Of gas, gunpowder, etc.: To expand violently with a loud report under the influence of suddenly developed internal energy; hence, of a charged jar, mine, etc. Of a boiler, gun, etc.: To fly in pieces, burst, from a similar cause.
1790. Gouv. Morris, in Sparks, Life & Writ. (1832), II. 96. All Europe, just now, is like a mine ready to explode.
1816. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, II. 232. Let one ball … touch the ball of the charged jar … the jar will then of course explode.
1858. Greener, Gunnery, 281. Place upon a plate a few grains of powder … As the plate becomes heated … the whole explodes.
1879. Tyndall, Fragm. Sc., I. x. 319. They [rockets] exploded with a very loud report in the air.
b. transf. and fig.
1817. Ld. Castlereagh, in Parl. Deb., 279. A desperate conspiracy … which had … exploded already.
1840. De Quincey, Wks. (1862), X. 179. We … rushed down forty-five stairs, and exploded from the house with a fury, [etc.].
1867. S. W. Baker, Albert N’yanza, II. 280. The effect produced made the crowd … explode with laughter.
1888. Burgon, Lives 12 Gd. Men, II. v. 63. Conscious that I must certainly explode if he kept me for another half-minute.
1891. E. Peacock, N. Brendon, I. 63. ‘Confound him!’ or some stronger expletive exploded from the Earl’s lips.
c. Phys. To break out or burst forth into.
1882. E. G. Loring, in Alien. & Neurol. (1887), VIII. 130. The irritation … may … develop gradually, or explode suddenly, into an actual inflammation.
6. trans. To cause (a gas, gunpowder, also a magazine, mine, etc.) to ‘go off’ with a loud noise; to ‘blow up.’
1794. R. J. Sulivan, View Nat., I. 192. In an exhausted receiver … neither can a bell be heard … nor gun-powder be exploded.
1807. T. Thomson, Chem. (ed. 3), II. 110. When oxygen and hydrogen gas are exploded.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, II. 762. The gun-cotton was exploded under the pressure of a confined space.
1890. Spectator, 15 May, 358/2. On Tuesday night, Lord Randolph Churchill exploded his little mine.
b. transf. and fig.
1822, 1832. [see CATAMARAN 2].
1842. S. R. Maitland, Notes Foxe’s Martyrs, II. Mr. Cattley … exploded all this conceit and insolence upon a matter which [etc.].
1850. C. Redding, Yesterday & To-day (1863), III. 42.
| So he took out his snuff-box, once more at his ease, | |
| Inhaled a full pinch and exploded a sneeze! |
1864. Lowell, Fireside Trav., 256. They [Italians] explode each other on mere contact … like two hostile gases.
1878. Simpson, Sch. Shaks., I. 11. The plot was exploded by the committal of Somerset … to the Tower.
