thermobaric meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

thermobaric

adj

Etymology From thermo- + baric, derived from the Ancient Greek words for “heat” and “pressure”: θερμοβαρικός (thermobarikós), from θερμός (thermós, “hot”) + βάρος (báros, “weight, pressure”) + -ικός (-ikós, “-ic”).

Describing various weapons that use atmospheric oxygen to produce a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than those produced by condensed explosives.

Fears have risen over the use of thermobaric weapons by Russia after the Ukrainian ambassador to the US said a vacuum bomb – another term for the weapon – had been used during the invasion.2022 March 1, Virginia Harrison, “What are thermobaric weapons and how do they work?”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 01 Mar 2022:
As he spoke, soldiers scrawled messages of retribution on the wings of a dozen drones, each packed with thermobaric explosives.2026 June 10, Marc Santora, “A Twist in Ukraine’s Drone Campaign Is ‘Really Hurting the Russians’”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

Derived terms: thermobaric weapon
Related terms: thermobaricity, vacuum bomb

thermobaric

noun

A thermobaric weapon.