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

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

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

Paramount is expected to bid for all of Warner Discovery, including its movie and television studios, the HBO Max streaming service and a portfolio of cable networks that includes CNN, TNT and Food Network.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The company’s legacy network stable includes CNN, TNT and Discovery Channel, but revenue for the segment has plunged as customers pivot to streaming and advertisers rein in spending.

Read more on Barron's

Workers in Building 602 made boosters through a process called melt casting, in which TNT is heated to a molten state and mixed with a more sensitive compound to increase its shock energy.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"We fell asleep at the wheel," Tuipulotu said bluntly on TNT Sports.

Read more on BBC

"I don't think England are quite favourites, I'd say Australia are still favourites, in Australia," Anderson told TNT Sports.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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

When To Use

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.