saltpetre
US saltpeter
/ (ˌsɔːltˈpiːtə) /
Save This Word!
noun
another name for potassium nitrate
short for Chile saltpetre
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!
Set some time apart to test your bracket symbol knowledge, and see if you can keep your parentheses, squares, curlies, and angles all straight!
Question 1 of 7
Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT Word Origin for saltpetre
C16: from Old French salpetre, from Latin sal petrae salt of rock
Words nearby saltpetre
salt of the Earth, Ye are the, Salton Sea, salt out, salt pan, saltpeter, saltpetre, salt pit, salt pork, salt-rising bread, Salt River, salts
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