saltpeter

or salt·pe·tre

[ sawlt-pee-ter ]

/ ˌsɔltˈpi tər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR saltpeter ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the form of potassium nitrate, KNO3, that occurs naturally, used in the manufacture of fireworks, fluxes, gunpowder, etc.; niter.

Chile saltpeter.

Nearby words

saltless, saltness, salto, salton sea, saltpan, saltpeter, saltpetre, salts, saltus, saltwater, saltwater taffy

Origin of saltpeter

1275–1325; earlier salt peter; replacing Middle English sal peter, salpetre < Medieval Latin salpetrē, for Latin sal petrae salt of rock, so called because it commonly encrusts stones

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

Examples from the Web for saltpeter

Early in the Civil War a large amount of saltpeter was manufactured here.
Archeological Investigations|Gerard Fowke
Saltpeter, or nitrate of potash, taken in moderate quantities, are very good remedies.
Searchlights on Health: Light on Dark Corners|B.G. Jefferis
Here is a spot weakened by constant sun and sprinkling and eaten by saltpeter rot.
The Little Clay Cart|(Attributed To) King Shudraka
About a fluid ounce of a rather dirty-looking solution of saltpeter resulted, to which a little sugar was added.
Adrift in the Ice-Fields|Charles W. Hall

Second, dissolved in water at the rate of two ounces of saltpeter to eight gallons of water, and sprinkled over the beds.
Mushrooms: how to grow them|William Falconer

Science definitions for saltpeter

saltpeter

[ sôlt′pē′tər ]

See potassium nitrate.

saltpeter

or salt·pe·tre

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of saltpeter

Examples from the Web for saltpeter

Science definitions for saltpeter

saltpeter