cordite

American  

[kawr-dahyt] / ˈkɔr daɪt /

noun

1. a smokeless, slow-burning powder composed of 30 to 58 percent nitroglycerin, 37 to 65 percent nitrocellulose, and 5 to 6 percent mineral jelly.

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cordite British  

/ ˈkɔːdaɪt /

noun

1. any of various explosive materials used for propelling bullets, shells, etc, containing cellulose nitrate, sometimes mixed with nitroglycerine, plasticizers, and stabilizers

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cordite Scientific  

/ kôr′dīt′ /

1. An explosive powder consisting of nitrocellulose, nitroglycerin, and petroleum jelly, used as a propellant for guns. It does not generate smoke and is shaped into cords.

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Etymology

Origin of cordite

First recorded in 1885–90; cord + -ite ¹, so called from its cordlike form

Example Sentences

Blue smoke and the smell of cordite filled the air as Everton's team coach arrived, the area around the players entrance packed with supporters.

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2025

Then they sat down to scrambled eggs and sausage amid the lingering scent of cordite.

From New York Times • Nov. 4, 2016

Adams is beholden to multiple constituencies, and for some faction of supporters his charisma has always derived, at least in part, from the whiff of cordite.

From The New Yorker • Mar. 9, 2015

For all the cordite and crackle of guns over the decades, though, it is a compelling place – Shangri-la seen through a glass darkly – largely unknown even within India.

From The Guardian • Dec. 11, 2010

The three soldiers approached the crater where the smell of cordite was strong.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan