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powder keg
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noun
a small, metal, barrellike container for gunpowder or blasting powder.
a potentially dangerous situation, especially one involving violent repercussions.
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Origin of powder keg
First recorded in 1850â55
Words nearby powder keg
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use powder keg in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for powder keg
powder keg
noun
a small barrel used to hold gunpowder
informal a potential source or scene of violence, disaster, etc
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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