thermite

[thur-mahyt]

noun

a mixture of finely-divided metallic aluminum and ferric oxide that when ignited produces extremely high temperatures as the result of the union of the aluminum with the oxygen of the oxide: used in welding, incendiary bombs, etc.

Origin of thermite

First recorded in 1895–1900; therm- + -ite¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for thermite

Historical Examples of thermite

And let me tell you—you are not the only man in New York who knows the secret of thermite.
The Silent Bullet
Arthur B. Reeve
The thermite was piled generously in a ridge all the way around.
The Metal Moon
Everett C. Smith
He leveled his pistol at the thermite ridge where it was nearest to him.
The Metal Moon
Everett C. Smith
It must have been a thermite bomb—nothing but thermite could be that hot.
Pursuit
Lester del Rey
But this accursed flaming English thermite could catch you at four miles.
Tales of War
Lord Dunsany