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

If you smell a gunpowder odor, it could be from a fried circuit board or fan motor in your furnace.

From Popular-Science

Jacqueline Falcone One morning I was up early, and Ricky asked me if I wanted to go into town with him and get gunpowder.

From Washington Post

Some events even featured fireworks, which involved filling trees with gunpowder and setting them on fire.

From Vox

Hooray Agency’s Seghers advises to “keep your gunpowder dry” in times of crisis and lean into brand values with authentic messaging.

From Digiday

You just stacked the furniture, sprinkled it with gunpowder and put a torch to it.

From Washington Post

The exploding bombs and gunpowder leveled every structure for hundreds of yards in all directions.

From The Daily Beast

Ships carried weapons and gunpowder to Africa, then loaded on human beings.

From The Daily Beast

There was no gunpowder found on her skin, supporting the notion of a shot not fired at extreme close range.

From The Daily Beast

Williams agreed to submit to a gunpowder residue test, which reportedly was negative.

From The Daily Beast

He was filmed leaving the apartment with a heavy bag, which later showed traces of gunpowder.

From The Daily Beast

The badness of the gunpowder used by the Mexicans, was again of great service to us.

From Project Gutenberg

Little did Tressan dream to what a cask of gunpowder he was applying the match of his smug pertness.

From Project Gutenberg

Mac took that pretty hard, and came mighty near making the major eat his words with gunpowder sauce on the side.

From Project Gutenberg

Gunpowder explosion at Vera Cruz, by which several buildings were injured and 20 persons killed, mostly women.

From Project Gutenberg

It is even more comparable to the sound produced by exploding gunpowder.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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