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 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

Some of the cannons were found still packed with cannonballs and gunpowder charges, along with other small artifacts. — Amy Galo, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026

Over the next several years, much of the gunpowder, shot, cloth and other material that kept the American war effort alive passed through Statia’s warehouses and harbor. — R. Grant Gilmore Iii, The Conversation, 30 June 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