The term bombshell is a forerunner to the "sex symbol" and originally used to describe popular female sex icons. Modern slang refers to a bombshell as an extremely sexually attractive woman. The Online Etymology Dictionary by Douglas Harper attests the usage of the term in this general meaning since 1942, although earlier Jean Harlow was nicknamed thusly. Bombshells are a special kind of sex symbol. Bombshells are popular icons recognized for their hourglass figures, their large breasts, sex appeal, and originally their blondness. After Jean Harlow, other icons of popular culture who have widely been referred to as a "Bombshell" include Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth, Diana Dors, Jayne Mansfield, Mamie Van Doren, Jane Russell, Ava Gardner, Brigitte Bardot, Kim Novak, Sophia Loren, Ann-Margret, Raquel Welch, Ursula Andress, and, in more recent popular culture, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Sofia Vergara, Megan Fox, Kate Upton, Kaley Cuoco, Anna Nicole Smith, Pamela Anderson, Monica Bellucci, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Katie Price, Keeley Hazell, Pixie Lott, and Dita Von Teese. Have a nice day.