potassium nitrate
noun
: a crystalline salt KNO3 that occurs as a product of nitrification in arable soils, is a strong oxidizer, and is used especially in making gunpowder, as a fertilizer, and in medicine
Examples of potassium nitrate in a Sentence
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Alternative ingredients like fluoride and potassium nitrate may be gentler on sensitive teeth and gums.19
Purple color-correcting toothpastes have also become popular.
—
Cristina Mutchler, Health, 27 Mar. 2025
The solution was filtered, purified and crystallized into usable potassium nitrate before being transported to gunpowder mills.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
In the 19th century, bat guano was mined from American caves to extract nitrates, which were chemically refined into potassium nitrate (saltpeter), a key component of gunpowder.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Investigators wrote in documents of finding more ominous items that Mr. Jabbar had left behind, including supplies that could be used for an explosive device: acetone, bottles of sulfuric acid and bags labeled as potassium nitrate.
—Edgar Sandoval, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2025
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Cristina Mutchler, Health, 27 Mar. 2025
The solution was filtered, purified and crystallized into usable potassium nitrate before being transported to gunpowder mills.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
In the 19th century, bat guano was mined from American caves to extract nitrates, which were chemically refined into potassium nitrate (saltpeter), a key component of gunpowder.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Investigators wrote in documents of finding more ominous items that Mr. Jabbar had left behind, including supplies that could be used for an explosive device: acetone, bottles of sulfuric acid and bags labeled as potassium nitrate.
—Edgar Sandoval, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for potassium nitrate
Cite this Entry
“Potassium nitrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/potassium%20nitrate. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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