An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

Verbal form of → explosion.

Etymology (EN): From L. explodere “drive out or off by clapping,” originally theatrical, “to drive an actor off the stage by making noise,” from → ex- “out” + plaudere “to clap, beat,” of uncertain origin.

Etymology (PE): Oskaftidan, from os-, → ex- + kaftidan “to burst; to split,” variants kaftan, kâftan “to split; to dig,” Parthian Mid.Pers. q’f- “to split;” Sogdian kβ “to spli;” Chorasmian kf- “to split, be split;” Proto-Iranian *kap-, *kaf- “to split.”