bombie
Noun: 1. An unexploded bomblet: A small, often spherical, explosive submunition that was dispersed from cluster munitions and failed to detonate on impact. These devices remain hazardous long after a conflict has ended. * Note: This term is particularly associated with the unexploded ordnance (UXO) contaminating Laos as a result of the Vietnam War era.
The term "bombie" is a specific, colloquial term used primarily in Laos to refer to a dangerous type of unexploded ordnance (UXO). It is used as a countable noun.
- The fields were littered with bombies, making it too dangerous to farm.
- Clearing bombies from villages is a slow and perilous task.
- Many of the bombies are small and can be mistaken for toys by children.
- The term is often used in historical, journalistic, or humanitarian contexts related to the legacy of war in Southeast Asia, specifically Laos.
- It serves as a powerful, concrete example when discussing the long-term humanitarian impact of cluster munitions.
- Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) (n): The broader technical category for any explosive weapon that failed to detonate as intended. "Bombies" are a type of UXO.
- Bomblet (n): The general term for a small bomb, especially one released from a cluster munition. A "bombie" is specifically an bomblet.
- Cluster Munition / Cluster Bomb (n): A weapon that releases many small bomblets over a wide area.
- Unexploded bomblet
- UXO (specifically of this type)
- Dud (informal, general term for a failed explosive device)
The word "bombie" carries a highly specific and grave meaning. It is not a general term for any bomb but refers explicitly to the lethal remnants of a particular type of warfare that continue to pose a threat to civilian life and livelihood decades later. Its usage is almost exclusively tied to the context of Laos.
-
an unexploded bomblet
-
unexploded bomblets known in Laos as `bombies' caused farmers to fear cultivating their fields
-