gunpowder

noun

gun·​pow·​der ˈgən-ˌpau̇-dər 

: an explosive mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur used in gunnery and blasting

broadly : any of various powders used in guns as propelling charges

Examples of gunpowder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The gunpowder choke point Gunpowder prices have spiked as the war in Ukraine depleted stockpiles. — Elsa Ohlen,greg Kennedy, CNBC, 23 July 2026

Vinha dos Utras is extremely dry, with hints of gunpowder and salinity, and very fresh, with an acidity that lingers. — Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

The former offices of the saltpeter mines, which produced the main ingredients used in gunpowder and fertilizer, evoke the past, when thousands of people labored at processing caliche, a nitrate-bearing rock. — Cristina Dorador, The Dial, 14 July 2026

His ideas were too radical even for many of our Founding Fathers, but the vigor of his writing and the clarity of his thinking were as a spark to gunpowder, and that was coming, too. — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gunpowder

• chowder
• crowder
• louder
• prouder

Kids Definition

gunpowder

noun

gun·​pow·​der -ˌpau̇d-ər 

: an explosive mixture used in guns and blasting