Definition

Noun: A Bangalore torpedo is a military explosive device consisting of a long, rigid metal tube filled with high explosives. Its primary purpose is to breach obstacles, specifically to detonate land mines in a path or to cut through dense barbed wire entanglements, thereby clearing a safe passage for infantry.

Usage

The term is used specifically in military and historical contexts to describe this tool for breaching defensive obstacles. - The combat engineers used a Bangalore torpedo to clear a path through the minefield. - Advancing troops relied on the Bangalore torpedo to breach the wire obstacles.

Advanced Usage

• The device is often deployed in sections that can be screwed together to achieve the necessary length to reach across an obstacle.
• Its name originates from the city of Bangalore, India, where it was first developed or used by British military engineers.

Variants and Related Words

• Bangalore (noun, proper): The city in India from which the device's name is derived. When used in this compound term, it is not a standalone variant of the torpedo.
• Torpedo (noun): In general naval usage, a self-propelled underwater missile. In the compound "Bangalore torpedo," the word "torpedo" is used in an older, broader sense meaning an explosive charge placed against a target.

Synonyms

• Breaching charge: A general term for an explosive device used to create a gap in an obstacle.
• Demolition charge: A broader term for an explosive used to destroy structures or clear obstacles.

Related Phrases

• To deploy a Bangalore torpedo: The action of placing and detonating the device.
  • The squad was trained to deploy a Bangalore torpedo under fire.

Noun

1. a metal pipe filled with explosive, used to detonate land mines or to clear a path through barbed wire