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mercury fulminate

noun
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Definition of mercury fulminate

: a crystalline compound Hg(ONC)2 that when dry explodes violently on percussion or heating, that is usually made by reaction of mercury, alcohol, and nitric acid, and that is used in blasting caps, percussion caps, and detonators

— called also fulminating mercury

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“Mercury fulminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercury%20fulminate. Accessed 26 Jun. 2022.

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