saltpeter
noun
salt·pe·ter
| \ ˈsȯlt-ˈpē-tər
\
\
Definition of saltpeter
2
: sodium nitrate
Examples of saltpeter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Historically, the best natural source of saltpeter, the common name for potassium nitrate, has been from caves caked with bat droppings. — Kevin Davenport, idahostatesman, "O say can you see? The science behind the booms and blooms of Independence Day fireworks," 3 July 2018 That offshoot nation traded farmland for huge amounts of saltpeter. — Steven Strom, Ars Technica, "Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire," 4 June 2018 Historically, the best natural source of saltpeter, the common name for potassium nitrate, has been from caves caked with bat droppings. — Kevin Davenport, idahostatesman, "O say can you see? The science behind the booms and blooms of Independence Day fireworks," 3 July 2018 That offshoot nation traded farmland for huge amounts of saltpeter. — Steven Strom, Ars Technica, "Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire," 4 June 2018 Guano was used for fertilizer, and for saltpeter for making gunpowder. — Steve Haycox, Alaska Dispatch News, "The other sesquicentennial: Midway," 20 Oct. 2017 Potash was also an important ingredient in saltpeter, which was in turn an ingredient in gunpowder– — Kat Eschner, Smithsonian, "What the First Three Patents Say About Early America," 31 July 2017 Well, consider the scene where John Adams sings an explanation of the recipe for saltpeter to Abigail, to convince her to rally her friends to make some for the Continental Army. — Matt Blum, WIRED, "Top 11 Things to Watch for a Geeky Independence Day (GeekDad Wayback Machine)," 3 July 2011These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'saltpeter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for saltpeter
saltpeter
noun
English Language Learners Definition of saltpeter
: a white powder that exists naturally in some soils and that is used especially as a fertilizer, in medicine, and to make gunpowder
See the full definition for saltpeter in the English Language Learners Dictionary
saltpeter
noun
salt·pe·ter
variants:
or chiefly British saltpetre \ ˈsȯlt-ˈpēt-ər
\
\
Medical Definition of saltpeter
2
: sodium nitrate