kieselguhr

American  

[kee-zuhl-goor] / ˈki zəlˌgʊər /

noun

1. diatomaceous earth.

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kieselguhr British  

/ ˈkiːzəlˌɡʊə /

noun

1. an unconsolidated form of diatomite

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Etymology

Origin of kieselguhr

1870–75; < German, equivalent to Kiesel flint + Gu ( h ) r earthy deposit

Example Sentences

The breakthrough came when he mixed nitroglycerin with the inert mineral powder kieselguhr, creating the much more stable dynamite.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2014

Fossil polishing-powders, as tripoli and bergmehl, are composed of them; also kieselguhr, which, impregnated with nitroglycerine, forms dynamite.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 1: Deposition to Eberswalde by Various

This name was originally applied to his mixture of nitroglycerin with kieselguhr, but now includes also other mechanical mixtures or chemical compounds which develop a high explosive force as compared with gunpowder.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 1 "Bisharin" to "Bohea" by Various

The other method consists in pumping acetylene under pressure into a cylinder apparently quite full of some highly porous solid matter, like charcoal, kieselguhr, unglazed brick, &c.

From Acetylene, the Principles of Its Generation and Use A Practical Handbook on the Production, Purification, and Subsequent Treatment of Acetylene for the Development of Light, Heat, and Power by Leeds, F. H. (Frank Henley)

Among the porous substances used is kieselguhr, a silicious earth which consists chiefly of the skeletons of various species of diatoms.

From Nitro-Explosives: A Practical Treatise by Sanford, P. Gerald (Percy Gerald)