— detonative , adj.
/det'n ay"sheuhn/ , n.
1. the act of detonating.
2. an explosion.
3. Mach. the premature spontaneous burning of a fuel-air mixture in an internal-combustion engine due to the high temperature of air compressed in a cylinder.
[ 1670-80; detonation- (s. of detonatio ), equiv. to L detonat ( us ) (see DETONATE) + -ion- -ION ]