gunpowder

[ guhn-pou-der ]

noun

1. an explosive mixture, as of potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal, used in shells and cartridges, in fireworks, for blasting, etc.
2. Also called gunpowder tea. a fine variety of green China tea, each leaf of which is rolled into a little ball.

gunpowder

/ ˈɡʌnˌpaʊdə /

noun

1. an explosive mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulphur (typical proportions are 75:15:10): used in time fuses, blasting, and fireworks Also calledblack powder

Derived Forms

• ˈgunˌpowdery, adjective

Other Words From

• gun·pow·der·y adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gunpowder¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; gun ¹, powder ¹

Example Sentences

While Guy Fawkes and the gunpowder plot of 1605 dominate the UK's autumnal bonfire tradition, Lewes Bonfire Society also remembers the 17 martyrs burnt to death by Mary I in the town in the 1500s.

From BBC

He was found with a bullet in his jacket pocket similar in caliber to the one Lois was shot with and had gunpowder on his hands, prosecutors said.

From Los Angeles Times

While media commentators assert the broad daylight high-profile shooting of a former President shocks the conscience, it’s just another day in a nation where the smell of gunpowder always hangs in the air.

From Salon

Inspectors said the buildup of combustible dust — such as accumulated gunpowder — caused the deadly blaze.

From Los Angeles Times

I quickly poured the gunpowder into a little muslin sack that the spicers used to package their goods for customers.

From Literature

Related Words

• ammo
• armament
• bomb
• bullet
• cartridge
• chemical
• explosive
• materiel
• missile
• munition
• napalm
• rocket
• shrapnel
• torpedo