guncotton
noun
gun·cot·ton
ˈgən-ˌkä-tᵊn 
: nitrocellulose
especially
: an explosive highly nitrated product used chiefly in smokeless powder
Examples of guncotton in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cotton linters—the short fibers left on cottonseed after ginning—can be processed into nitrocellulose, a highly volatile, nitrogen-rich material known as guncotton that’s used as a primary ingredient in solid rocket propellants for ballistic missiles.
—
Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 27 Apr. 2026
Nitrocellulose, also known as guncotton, is highly flammable.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
This fires the detonating charge, which in turn fires the main charge of guncotton.
—Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 8 Apr. 2021
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Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 27 Apr. 2026
Nitrocellulose, also known as guncotton, is highly flammable.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
This fires the detonating charge, which in turn fires the main charge of guncotton.
—Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 8 Apr. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Guncotton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guncotton. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
guncotton
noun
gun·cot·ton
ˈgən-ˌkät-ᵊn
: any of various cellulose nitrates
especially
: an explosive consisting of a higher-nitrated product (as one containing at least 13.2 percent nitrogen)
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