depth charge

depth charge (plural depth charges)

1. (military, nautical, aviation) A form of bomb, launched from a ship or dropped from an aircraft, that is designed to detonate at a certain depth underwater for the purposes of attacking a submerged enemy, especially a submarine.

   Synonym: depth bomb

   • 2014 October 25, Jeff Gordinier, “In search of the perfect taco”, in T: The New York Times Style Magazine (international edition)‎, page 100:

     The trailblazing Oaxacan chef Alejandro Ruiz […] has spiked this black-bean sauce with a hidden depth charge of flavor: patches of foliage from a local avocado tree. The leaves electrify the sauce with an unexpected thrum of black licorice.

2. Synonym of bomb shot (“type of mixed drink”)

depth charge (third-person singular simple present depth charges, present participle depth charging, simple past and past participle depth charged)

1. (transitive, military, nautical, aviation) To attack (a target, usually a submarine) with depth charges.

   After the freighter was torpedoed, its escorting destroyers depth charged the submarine for two hours, but failed to sink it.

• depth-charge