Advertisement

Advertisement

lyddite

[ lid-ahyt ]

noun

, Chemistry.
  1. a high explosive consisting chiefly of picric acid.


lyddite

/ ˈlɪdaɪt /

noun

  1. an explosive consisting chiefly of fused picric acid
  2. a dense black variety of chert, formerly used as a touchstone
“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


Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of lyddite1

1885–90; named after Lydd, borough in SE England near the site where it was first tested; -ite 1
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of lyddite1

C19: (sense 1) named after Lydd, a town in Kent near which the first tests were made
Discover More

Example Sentences

We have also a five-inch lyddite gun (Clements brought it), which sent up huge clouds of brown dust where the shell struck.

They made very light of lyddite, and laughed at the legend that the fumes are dangerous.

Here a corner of one of the massive entrance pillars had been sharply severed off by a British lyddite shell.

A lyddite missile had done the deed; no "common" shell, we argued, could have created such a noise.

Such faces I did not think could be worn by human beings; they were orange with lyddite smoke.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


LyddaLydgate