[det.o.nate] vb -nat.ed ; -nat.ing [F detoner to explode, fr. L detonare to expend thunder, fr. de- + tonare to thunder--more at thunder] vi (1729): to explode with sudden violence ~ vt 1: to cause to detonate "~ a bomb"--compare deflagrate
2: to set off in a burst of activity: spark "programs that detonated controversies" -- det.o.nat.able adj -- det.o.na.tive adj