powder

play

verb pow·der \ˈpau̇-dər\

Definition of powder

powdered

;

powdering

play \ˈpau̇-d(ə-)riŋ\

transitive verb
1 : to sprinkle or cover with or as if with powder
2 : to reduce or convert to powder
3 : to hit very hard
intransitive verb
1 : to become powder
2 : to apply cosmetic powder

powderer

play \-dər-ər\ noun

See powder defined for English-language learners

Examples of powder in a Sentence

She powdered her face and put on lipstick.
you have to powder the antibiotic tablet and mix it with food

Recent Examples of powder from the Web

While being prepped by her glam squad, Pink nursed son Jameson — who kindly helped powder his mom's décolletage at the same time.

— maria yagoda, PEOPLE.com, "#MommyGoals: Celeb Moms Who Get Glam with Their Babies Like It's NBD," 7 July 2017
The third layer is a mix of garlic and onion — powdered, granulated and minced.

— jenn harris, latimes.com, "Four great places to get pork ribs in Los Angeles," 29 June 2017
Most allergic reactions occur after inhaling the sulfites powdered on foods while eating them.

— sarah tan, Good Housekeeping, "What Exactly Are Sulfites — And Are They Bad for You?," 26 June 2017
Activists had been demanding this reduction for decades, as the only difference between the two drugs is that crack is made by adding baking soda and heat to powder cocaine.

— tanya golash-boza, The Cannabist, "America’s mass incarceration problem in 5 charts — or, why Sessions shouldn’t bring back mandatory minimums," 6 June 2017
Of the portion reserved for human consumption, much is powdered, preserving it but significantly impacting taste and quality.

— thomas page, CNN, "Dine macabre: When blood is on the menu," 30 May 2017
Say the time Perry donned a kimono and heavily powdered her face for a 2013 American Music Awards performance.

— michael arceneaux, The Root, "Unlike Most of Y’all, I Like Katy Perry’s New Songs, But...," 29 May 2017
Sarah Gish sgish@kcstar.com Powdered cheese is a staple at In-a-Tub, which is known for its fried tacos.

— sarah gish, kansascity, "Holy powdered cheese: Nine things I learned on my first trip to In-a-Tub," 4 May 2017
Sarah Gish sgish@kcstar.com Powdered cheese is a staple at In-a-Tub, which is known for its fried tacos.

— sarah gish, kansascity.com, "Holy powdered cheese: Nine things I learned on my first trip to In-a-Tub," 4 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'powder.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of powder

14th century

powder

noun, often attributive pow·der

Definition of powder

1 : matter in a finely divided state : particulate matter
2a : a preparation in the form of fine particles especially for medicinal or cosmetic useb : fine dry light snow
3 : any of various solid explosives used chiefly in gunnery and blasting

powderless

play \-ləs\ adjective

powderlike

play \-ˌlīk\ adjective

See powder defined for English-language learners

See powder defined for kids

Examples of powder in a Sentence

The powder is made from the roots of the plant.
Mix together the different powders.
She crushed the peppercorns into a fine powder.
We're running low on baby powder and diapers.
We woke this morning to several inches of fresh powder on the ground.

Recent Examples of powder from the Web

Nelson’s trick is to use a cream blush that’s a little semi-matte and add a complementary powder blush on top to give the color a little dimension.

— kathleen hou, The Cut, "17 of the Best Beauty Products for a Heat Wave, According to a Celebrity Makeup Artist," 20 July 2017
A suspicious white powder discovered at town hall Wednesday was a harmless pet antacid, police said.

— hartford courant, courant.com, "Hazmat Crew Responds To Avon Town Hall; Substance Not Harmful," 12 July 2017
Fold in flour, baking powder, cheese, thyme and salt.

— terri milligan, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Fresh Thyme and Gruyere Madeleines," 3 July 2017
When Cook County announced a new beverage tax on sweetened drinks, syrups and powders, which goes into effect Saturday and that oddly enough includes artificially sweetened beverages, such as Diet Pepsi, the tax battle became personal.

— donna vickroy, Daily Southtown, "Thanks, Cook County, for turning us into soda nut-cases," 29 June 2017
During that incident, the robber pulled out an explosive device that contained powder, metal pieces and a fuse, according to Ubbelohde.

— matt volz, The Seattle Times, "Bombs found in Montana home linked to bank robberies," 26 June 2017
Grease 12-cup muffin tin with shortening, then lightly dust cocoa powder in each cup, making sure to shake the pan to coat all sides and bottoms of the cups.

— birmingham magazine, AL.com, "Learn to cook with cherries in dishes both sweet and savory," 23 June 2017
In large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

— philip potempa, Post-Tribune, "Try this recipe fit for 'The Food for the Gods'," 23 June 2017
A mysterious yellow powder that sucked the life out of the remaining plants.

— katherine burns, courant.com, "Vandalism At Sensory Garden Postpones Weekend Opening," 23 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of powder

Middle English poudre, from Anglo-French pudre, podre, from Latin pulver-, pulvis dust; probably akin to Sanskrit palāva chaff

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Powder

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geographical name Pow·der \ˈpau̇-dər\

Definition of Powder

1 river 150 miles (241 kilometers) long in eastern Oregon flowing into the Snake River
2 river 375 miles (604 kilometers) long in northern Wyoming and southeastern Montana flowing north into the Yellowstone River

POWDER Defined for English Language Learners

powder

play

verb

Definition of powder for English Language Learners

: to put powder on (your face or body)

powder

noun

Definition of powder for English Language Learners

: a dry substance made up of very tiny pieces of something
: a very fine, dry substance that is put on your body or face especially to make it dry or less shiny
: snow that is very light and dry

POWDER Defined for Kids

powder

play

verb pow·der \ˈpau̇-dər\

Definition of powder for Students

powdered

;

powdering

1 : to sprinkle or cover with or as if with fine particles of something The cookies were powdered with sugar.
2 : to reduce or change to powder

powder

play

noun pow·der

Definition of powder for Students

1 : a dry substance made up of fine particles The stone was crushed into powder.
2 : something (as a food, medicine, or cosmetic) made in or changed to the form of a powder garlic powder
3 : gunpowder

Medical Dictionary

powder

play

noun pow·der \ˈpau̇d-ər\

Medical Definition of powder

: a product in the form of discrete usually fine particles; specifically : a medicine or medicated preparation in the form of a powder antiseptic powder digestive powder