What's the difference between explosive and petard?

Explosive


Definition:

  • (a.) Driving or bursting out with violence and noise; causing explosion; as, the explosive force of gunpowder.
  • (n.) An explosive agent; a compound or mixture susceptible of a rapid chemical reaction, as gunpowder, or nitro-glycerine.
  • (n.) A sound produced by an explosive impulse of the breath; (Phonetics) one of consonants p, b, t, d, k, g, which are sounded with a sort of explosive power of voice. [See Guide to Pronunciation, Ã 155-7, 184.]

Example Sentences:

  • (1) According to some reports as many as 30 people were killed in the explosion, although that figure could not be independently confirmed.
  • (2) Recognition of this deficiency in our knowledge spurred a belated explosion of research that began with an exploration of the fine structure of the mesothelium.
  • (3) Moments later, explosive charges blasted free two tungsten blocks, to shift the balance of the probe so it could fly itself to a prearranged landing spot .
  • (4) There were soon tales of claimants dying after having had money withdrawn, but the real administrative problem was the explosion of appeals, which very often succeeded because many medical problems were being routinely ignored at the earlier stage.
  • (5) But late last month, Amisom pushed them out of Afgoye, a strategic stronghold 30km from Mogadishu, where Amisom officials say the militants used to manufacture explosives used in attacks on the capital.
  • (6) When you have champions of financial rectitude such as the International Monetary Fund and OECD warning of the international risk of an "explosion of social unrest" and arguing for a new fiscal stimulus if growth continues to falter, it's hardly surprising that tensions in the cabinet over next month's spending review are spilling over.
  • (7) Gunfire and explosions rocked Bangkok following clashes between pro-government "red shirts" and protesters, leading to fears of further violence as Thais head to the polls.
  • (8) He explained that in Iraq , vehicles loaded with explosive devices only had their hazard warning lights on.” When Fitzsimons applied for a job in Iraq with the security firm Armour Group Security , owned by G4S, he didn’t tell his family.
  • (9) A month later there were explosions in High Wycombe and London's King's Road.
  • (10) Progress on treaties underpinning nuclear disarmament – which have too long been stalled – has also recently begun to look more hopeful, with renewed prospects for achieving the entry into force of the comprehensive test ban treaty and for starting negotiations on a treaty to ban the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive purposes.
  • (11) Technology assessment is becoming increasingly important in the area of critical care due both to the explosion of technology associated with this discipline and to the realization that future demand for these health care resources will undoubtedly exceed the ability to pay.
  • (12) Morphine was previously found to elicit an explosive excitatory behavior following its injection at a high dose in the rat periaqueductal gray (PAG).
  • (13) The World Health Organisation has convened an emergency committee to discuss the “explosive” spread of the Zika virus , with one of its scientists estimating there there could be 3m-4m Zika infections in the Americas over the next year.
  • (14) Certainly the affidavit against Ferdaus paints a compelling picture of a man hellbent on waging jihad in America and eager to take the guns and explosives eventually supplied to him by the undercover FBI agents.
  • (15) Thus the main population explosion – or to give it its proper name, the population implosion – is still to come.
  • (16) GMCs during the radiation schedule were associated with explosive diarrhea on seven occasions.
  • (17) The bigger question to pose is whether these reforms can possibly meet the challenge the NHS faces from an explosion in chronic diseases, such as diabetes .
  • (18) A massive explosion in a highly secure diplomatic area of Kabul has killed at least 90 people and wounded more than 461, Afghan officials have said.
  • (19) Unfortunately, this explosion is mild compared with the number of myths, falsehoods and downright lies which have accompanied these ideas.
  • (20) A car bomb and suspected suicide bomber have killed at least 15 people in two explosions at a restaurant in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, local police said.

Petard


Definition:

  • (n.) A case containing powder to be exploded, esp. a conical or cylindrical case of metal filled with powder and attached to a plank, to be exploded against and break down gates, barricades, drawbridges, etc. It has been superseded.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Finally, perhaps with a bit of hindsight, we can see this as JP Morgan being hoisted by its own petard; the complexity of the derivatives it was inventing and selling made them hard to value and rate for risk.
  • (2) There are respects in which the big stores have been hoist by their own petards.
  • (3) Mel Some people have been hoist by their own petard.
  • (4) But ultimately they [the government] don’t want their record of no boats arriving to be spoiled, they want to be able to continue to say no boats have arrived for more than six months – they are hoisted on their own petard.
  • (5) If Tehran hardliners get their way, Salman will be hoisted by his own petard.
  • (6) Fifty one eyes (1st group) was burned by thermal or chemical means, mainly by lime; 40 eyes (2d group) sustained chemico-mechanical injuries caused by explosions of petards or miner's detonators.
  • (7) But ultimately they [the government] don’t want their record of no boats arriving to be spoiled, they want to be able to continue to say no boats have arrived for more than six months – they are hoisted on their own petard.” On Wednesday a spokesman for the Morrison said it was long-standing government practice not to confirm or comment on reports of individual acts of self-harm, but there was no basis to the claims of self-harm or attempted suicide.
  • (8) Newcastle United are supposed to be counterattacking specialists but they ended up hoist with their own petard as a brilliant late Sunderland break resulted in Adam Johnson ruining Alan Pardew’s Christmas.
  • (9) Netanyahu’s new problem is that – hoist with his own petard – he has now been obliged to spin both the comments he made on the even of the elections and his wider tactics during the campaign, including his pointed breach of protocol in making a speech to Congress that US president Barack Obama did not want him to make.
  • (10) Indeed, it now looks as though Germany itself, for so long the main beneficiary of the structure of the eurozone, has been hoist by its own petard.
  • (11) There is something rather beguiling about a chancellor with strategic pretensions that exceed his abilities being hoist with his own petard.
  • (12) The Indians, in particular, have become past masters at co-opting the language of equity ("equal rights to the atmosphere") in the service of planetary suicide – and leftish campaigners and commentators are hoist with their own petard.
  • (13) The irony is that the Conservative councillors who initially decided to get rid of the perceived fat cat have been hoist with their own petard.
  • (14) Yet there is no guarantee that any English or Welsh shipyard could build them, so the UK could end up hoist by own petard.

Words possibly related to "petard"