black powder

American

noun

an explosive powder consisting of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal, used chiefly in old guns fired for sport, in fireworks, and for spotting charges in practice bombs; black gunpowder.

black powder British

noun

another name for gunpowder

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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black powder

The first detonation was believed to have involved "black powder corresponding to pyrotechnic material stored at the site," he said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026

At the time of the rescue, the Ministry of Defence confirmed an Army bomb disposal team had been called out and "black powder" was taken back to its barracks.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2025

The actual explanation, which the team was convinced best explained the stones, was that the holes were chiseled out to take black powder to blast and break up the stones when clearing fields.

From Slate ● Nov. 11, 2023

This takes the form of a finely ground black powder dissolved in a transparent liquid -- oxalic acid.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2023

Like a demon, Booth emerged from the cloud of black powder and sprang at him.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023