bombe

1 of 2

noun

ˈbäm How to pronounce bombe (audio) ˈbōⁿ(m)b How to pronounce bombe (audio)
: a frozen dessert usually containing ice cream and formed in layers in a mold

bombé

2 of 2

adjective

bom·​bé (ˌ)bäm-ˈbā How to pronounce bombé (audio)
(ˌ)bōⁿ-
variants or bombe
: having outward curving lines
—usually used of furniture

Examples of bombe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The bombe chest, or as the French call it, the commode, is standard. — Charlotte Observer, 1 Feb. 2024 Red 'Red Charm' is a bombe-shaped (named after the ice cream dessert) peony bloom. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 18 May 2026 The fish is lacquered like an antique bombe chest, with smooth mahogany curves and gnarled curlicues of batter along the edges. — Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Oct. 2021 Go ahead and trade your usual scoops for a milkshake, sundae, ice cream sandwich, layer cake, or a celebration bombe. — Victoria Spencer, Martha Stewart, 3 July 2026 The Bletchley Declaration is, in itself, nowhere near as much of a game changer as Turing’s bombe was. — Bydavid Meyer, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2023 On a recent afternoon, the green velvet banquette hosts a younger crowd for asparagus canapes, coronation chicken salad, vanilla macarons, chocolate bombes, and the requisite scones. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 10 May 2023 One of the desserts that will be savored included a bombe glacée cardinal, a vanilla ice cream featuring Kentish raspberry sorbet and lightly poached Victoria plums. — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025 These techniques are designed to frustrate even the immense potential of quantum computing, a technology light-years beyond the electromechanical bombe that Turing used to break the German Enigma cipher. — IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from French, literally, "bomb" — more at bomb entry 1

Adjective

French, from bombe

First Known Use

Noun

1841, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bombe was in 1841

Rhymes for bombe

See All Rhymes for bombe

Browse Nearby Words

bomb cyclone
bombe
bombé
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bombe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bombe. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Medical Definition

bombé

see iris bombé
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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