PETN
noun
: a crystalline ester C5H8N4O12 used as a powerful high explosive and medically in the treatment of angina pectoris
… the experts determined that its explosive content was identical to that of the Honolulu bomb—PETN, an explosive undetectable by X-ray.—
Steven Emerson
Steven Emersoncalled also pentaerythritol tetranitrate
Examples of PETN in a Sentence
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Compared to conventional demo techniques – jackhammers or blasting with det cord, PETN, TNT and the like – the Catonator can reportedly cut through rock, concrete, and even steel up to 10 times faster while being significantly quieter, with less mess and less disruption.
—New Atlas, 18 June 2025
The batteries of the walkie-talkies were laced with a highly explosive compound known as PETN, a Lebanese source familiar with the device’s components told Reuters.
—Reuters Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Sep. 2024
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New Atlas, 18 June 2025
The batteries of the walkie-talkies were laced with a highly explosive compound known as PETN, a Lebanese source familiar with the device’s components told Reuters.
—Reuters Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“PETN.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/PETN. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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