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.

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guncotton British  

/ ˈɡʌnˌkɒtən /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of guncotton

First recorded in 1840–50; gun ¹ + cotton

Example Sentences

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

Huge quantities of guncotton were made from cotton received a bale at a time.

From Time Magazine Archive

This was described as a three-inch cardboard or celluloid card with a cut-out centre, into which was pasted a flat core of guncotton and phosphorus.

From Time Magazine Archive

Here guncotton, exploded in the open, forms the most appropriate source of sound.

From Fragments of science, V. 1-2 by Tyndall, John