Im*plo"sion (?), n. [Formed by
substitution of pref. im- in for pref. ex- in
explosion.] 1. A bursting inwards, as of
a vessel from which the air has been exhausted; -- contrasted with
explosion.
2. (Phon.) A sudden compression of the
air in the mouth, simultaneously with and affecting the sound made by
the closure of the organs in uttering p, t, or
k, at the end of a syllable (see Guide to
Pronunciation, §§159, 189); also, a similar compression
made by an upward thrust of the larynx without any accompanying
explosive action, as in the peculiar sound of b, d, and
g, heard in Southern Germany. H. Sweet.