powder keg

American  

noun

1. a small, metal, barrellike container for gunpowder or blasting powder.

2. a potentially dangerous situation, especially one involving violent repercussions.

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powder keg British  

noun

1. a small barrel used to hold gunpowder

2. informal a potential source or scene of violence, disaster, etc

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Etymology

Origin of powder keg

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

In 1768 King George III filled Boston with armed troops, creating a powder keg; in two years the spark of a single rifle shot would explode the Boston Massacre.

From The Wall Street Journal

On Monday morning, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche described the situation as a "powder keg".

From BBC

For Crudup, Timothy isn’t a bitter powder keg but a man looking for a little closure, someone who has made peace with the past until the moment he doesn’t get the apology he’s expecting.

From Los Angeles Times

"It's a powder keg now and we need to get something done and we need the Home Office to listen," he added.

From BBC

The press and the then-burgeoning powder keg of social media ran with it.

From Salon

Related Words

• time bomb