guncotton

American  

[guhn-kot-n] / ˈgʌnˌkɒt n /

noun

1. a highly explosive nitrocellulose, made by breaking down clean cotton in a mixture of one part nitric acid and three parts sulfuric acid: used in making smokeless powder.

---

guncotton British  

/ ˈɡʌnˌkɒtən /

noun

1. cellulose nitrate containing a relatively large amount of nitrogen: used as an explosive

---

Etymology

Origin of guncotton

First recorded in 1840–50; gun ¹ + cotton

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

guncotton

The Pentagon, which also seeks to minimize its dependency on foreign countries, is working to boost its stocks of linter supplies and capacity to process guncotton.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

At a third factory, housed in renovated Cold War-era buildings in a forest populated with deer, women with long painted nails assemble tiny components for igniters, which trigger the guncotton in the propellant.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

One of the ships was a Belgian relief vessel; the other was the SS Mont-Blanc, a French munitions ship packed to the gills with explosives such as TNT, picric acid, benzol and guncotton.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2025

Over the years, many people have contended that this second explosion was very likely caused by secret stores of volatile munitions — like aluminum powder or guncotton — that detonated within the ship’s holds.

From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2015

The chemical composition and constitution of guncotton has been studied by a considerable number of chemists and many divergent views have been put forward on the subject.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 6 "Groups, Theory of" to "Gwyniad" by Various