TNT

¹

Or T.N.T.

1. Chemistry.,  a yellow, crystalline, water-insoluble, flammable solid, C 7 H 5 N 3 O 6 , derived from toluene by nitration, a high explosive unaffected by ordinary friction or shock: used chiefly in military and other explosive devices, and as an intermediate in the preparation of dye-stuffs and photographic chemicals.

TNT

²

abbreviation

Trademark.

1. Turner Network Television: a cable television channel.

TNT

noun

1. 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene; a yellow solid: used chiefly as a high explosive and is also an intermediate in the manufacture of dyestuffs. Formula: CH 3 C 6 H 2 (NO 2 ) 3

TNT

1. Short for trinitrotoluene. A yellow, crystalline compound used mainly as an explosive. As it can only explode by means of a detonator and is not affected by shock, it is safe to handle and is used especially in munitions and for demolitions. Chemical formula: C ₇ H ₅ N ₃ O ₆ .

Word History and Origins

Origin of TNT¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Last month, the US government awarded Accurate Energetic Systems a contract worth nearly $120 million for the "procurement of TNT," according to the Pentagon.

Read more on Barron's

The factory, which sat on about 1300 acres of land, produced C-4, TNT and other high-grade military and commercial explosives and stored them there.

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That explosion released energy equivalent to hundreds of kilotons of TNT, reminding scientists that even modestly sized asteroids can have local effects.

Read more on Science Daily

TNT and Amazon Prime show live European games in the UK with BBC Sport holding rights for highlights online, along with a highlights show on BBC One.

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Kudus told TNT Sports after the win he had been "waiting" for his first goal.

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Related Words

• ammunition 
• bomb 
• booby trap 
• detonator 
• dynamite 
• gunpowder 
• mine 
• missile 
• munition 
• powder 

When To Use

What is TNT?

TNT is a yellow, odorless powder at room temperature. TNT is highly explosive and has been used in the making of military weapons and industrial explosives.TNT is often confused and used interchangeably with another explosive: dynamite. While TNT and dynamite are both explosive, they have little else in common. They have totally different chemical properties and are made from completely different ingredients.Because it is highly explosive and highly dangerous, TNT is almost always regulated by government agencies, such as the United States’s Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. In the United States TNT can legally be made only by the U.S. military but can be legally purchased from other countries for approved industrial reasons.Using TNT in explosives is frequently depicted in popular culture, such as the Looney Tunes and Mickey Mouse cartoons.Example: Wile E. Coyote is often blown up by his own TNT when he fails to catch the Road Runner.