TNT

¹

or T.N.T.

1. Chemistry. a yellow, crystalline, water-insoluble, flammable solid, C 7 H 5 N 3 O 6 , derived from toluene by nitration, a high explosive unaffected by ordinary friction or shock: used chiefly in military and other explosive devices, and as an intermediate in the preparation of dye-stuffs and photographic chemicals.

TNT

²

abbreviation for

, Trademark.

1. Turner Network Television: a cable television channel.

TNT

noun

1. 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene; a yellow solid: used chiefly as a high explosive and is also an intermediate in the manufacture of dyestuffs. Formula: CH 3 C 6 H 2 (NO 2 ) 3

TNT

/ tē′ĕn-tē′ /

1. Short for trinitrotoluene. A yellow, crystalline compound used mainly as an explosive. As it can only explode by means of a detonator and is not affected by shock, it is safe to handle and is used especially in munitions and for demolitions. Chemical formula: C 7 H 5 N 3 O 6 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of TNT¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

It was later revived on TNT for four more seasons before the network announced its cancellation on May 10, 2013.

From The Daily Beast

Dwyane knew he’d get made fun of on [TNT‘S] ‘Inside (the) NBA,’ but he still wore it and wore it well.

From The Daily Beast

Weisberg: I was sitting in my hotel in Los Angeles and I was working on a show called Falling Skies on TNT.

From The Daily Beast

TNT stepped in to save the show, and that decision, at least creatively, has paid off.

From The Daily Beast

“We are going to need a lot of TNT of dynamite,” Nafis said, according to the complaint.

From The Daily Beast

What could his thoughts have been, lying tied up on the living room floor waiting for twenty tons of TNT to go off?

From Project Gutenberg

The explosive device was of what later would be called nominal size, its force equivalent to 20,000 tons of TNT.

From Project Gutenberg

They make nitroglycerine, like all the thalassic peoples; they also make TNT and catastrophite, and propellants.

From Project Gutenberg

The mails carry letters every day that are so many packages of TNT should their contents be exploded by falling into wrong hands.

From Project Gutenberg

You fought wars, and then bigger and better wars, until you couldn't be satisfied with gunpowder and TNT any longer.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• ammunition
• bomb
• booby trap
• detonator
• dynamite
• gunpowder
• mine
• missile
• munition
• powder

About This Word

What is TNT?

TNT is a yellow, odorless powder at room temperature. TNT is highly explosive and has been used in the making of military weapons and industrial explosives.

TNT is often confused and used interchangeably with another explosive: dynamite. While TNT and dynamite are both explosive, they have little else in common. They have totally different chemical properties and are made from completely different ingredients.

Because it is highly explosive and highly dangerous, TNT is almost always regulated by government agencies, such as the United States’s Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. In the United States TNT can legally be made only by the U.S. military but can be legally purchased from other countries for approved industrial reasons.

Using TNT in explosives is frequently depicted in popular culture, such as the Looney Tunes and Mickey Mouse cartoons.

Example: Wile E. Coyote is often blown up by his own TNT when he fails to catch the Road Runner.

Where does TNT come from?

The first records of TNT come from around 1910. It is an abbreviation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene.

TNT is made by mixing toluene with nitric and sulfuric acids. It was discovered by German chemist Joseph Wilbrand in 1863, but people didn’t use it as an explosive until the 1890s. After the start of World War I in 1916, other countries saw how effective TNT was in war and began producing large amounts of TNT. It was so popular with the world’s militaries during this time that there were shortages of the ingredients needed to make it.

Today, TNT is still widely used for military and, less often, industrial purposes. It is used in a variety of weapons and explosives, such as grenades, bombs, and artillery shells. Industrially, TNT is used for underwater blasting and in the production of dyes and photographic chemicals.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to TNT?

• T.N.T. (alternative spelling)
• 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (spelled-out form)

What are some words that often get used in discussing TNT?

• explosive
• war
• bomb
• mixtures
• pounds

What are some words TNT may be commonly confused with?

• dynamite

How is TNT used in real life?

While TNT is still a common ingredient in military weapons and explosives, the term is used more often in popular culture.

Ukrainian military engineers regiment return home too. They deactivated 32 artillery projectiles, 64 grenades 20 kg of TNT.

— NSDC of Ukraine (@NSDC_ua) April 17, 2015

I laugh every time the Roadrunner gets blown up by TNT.

— Natasha (@NatashaMonique_) September 24, 2019

I feel like I just got blown up by TNT on Minecraft

— Cam (@CRuemler) August 22, 2015