SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

C-4

play

noun \ ˈsē-ˈfȯr \

Definition of C-4

:a high explosive composed of various chemicals that make it moldable and plastic

Before it was detonated, I held a piece of C-4 plastic explosive about the size of a baseball. It felt slightly greasy and granular, but otherwise indistinguishable from my daughter's Play-Doh.
—Eric Schlosser

First Known Use of c-4

1964

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up C-4? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

toothsome

play

agreeable, attractive, or delicious

Words at Play

alt-59c52d6ee2f72

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

The word's origins are quite literal

alt-59c4207ecf106

Let's Talk 'Tea'

Spill it, sip it: just make it hot.

8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

Common terms that come from boxing and wrestling

alt-59c2960017c94

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When you push a meeting, where does it go?

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066

Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless

Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals

Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

young-plant-shoots

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz

stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz

True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz

Add Diction

Build a chain of words by adding one letter at a time.

Play the game