niter

[nahy-ter]

noun

potassium nitrate.

sodium nitrate.

Nearby words

Also especially British, ni·tre.

Origin of niter

1375–1425; late Middle English nitre < Latin nitrum < Greek nítron natron

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for niter

Thus the niter production, in the course of a year, was brought up to something like half of the total consumption.
The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, Vol. 1 (of 2)|Jefferson Davis
Niter mixed with common salt, placed upon burning charcoal, and water added, produce a stronger explosion than salt alone.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 288|Various
This process has been made possible by the discovery of the Chili niter beds and the potassium chloride of the Stassfurt deposits.
An Elementary Study of Chemistry|William McPherson
Added to this the sickening acrid smell of niter explosives filled the atmosphere.
The Cruise of the Dry Dock|T. S. Stribling

The British blockade had made the importation of niter from overseas impossible.
The Iron Ration|George Abel Schreiner

British Dictionary definitions for niter

niter

noun

the usual US spelling of nitre

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

Word Origin and History for niter

niter

see nitre.

Science definitions for niter

niter

[nī′tər]

A naturally occurring mineral form of potassium nitrate. It is used to make gunpowder.