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 pipe was filled with a powder-like substance, preliminarily identified as smokeless gunpowder, according to the document.
—
Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2024
Xi nonetheless found plenty of ways to support the Russian war machine, sending semiconductors, unarmed drones, gunpowder, and other wares.
—Matt Pottinger, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2024
The property, formerly the site of a 19th century gunpowder factory, includes the first du Pont family home and gardens in America.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2023
Supply-chain bottlenecks and a steep increase in international demand — caused in part by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza — have exhausted supplies of gunpowder and rocket propellants.
—David L. Stern, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
Whoever can turn it invisible by bending light around it will change warfare just as dramatically as the Chinese alchemist 900 years ago who was looking for the elixir of life and discovered gunpowder.
—Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
That’s not to say that the discovery of gunpowder and metalworking automatically advanced weapons development.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 7 Dec. 2023
Appetizer choices include chicken malai tikka, gunpowder calamari and palak patta chaat.
—Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 13 Feb. 2024
Union soldiers also tossed thousands of Confederate weapons and supplies into the river, including sabers, bayonets, tents, backpacks, ball cartridges and gunpowder, according to Live Science’s Kristina Killgrove.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2023
Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2024
Xi nonetheless found plenty of ways to support the Russian war machine, sending semiconductors, unarmed drones, gunpowder, and other wares.
—Matt Pottinger, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2024
The property, formerly the site of a 19th century gunpowder factory, includes the first du Pont family home and gardens in America.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2023
Supply-chain bottlenecks and a steep increase in international demand — caused in part by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza — have exhausted supplies of gunpowder and rocket propellants.
—David L. Stern, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
Whoever can turn it invisible by bending light around it will change warfare just as dramatically as the Chinese alchemist 900 years ago who was looking for the elixir of life and discovered gunpowder.
—Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
That’s not to say that the discovery of gunpowder and metalworking automatically advanced weapons development.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 7 Dec. 2023
Appetizer choices include chicken malai tikka, gunpowder calamari and palak patta chaat.
—Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 13 Feb. 2024
Union soldiers also tossed thousands of Confederate weapons and supplies into the river, including sabers, bayonets, tents, backpacks, ball cartridges and gunpowder, according to Live Science’s Kristina Killgrove.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gunpowder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near gunpowder
Cite this Entry
“Gunpowder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunpowder. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gunpowder
noun
gun·pow·der
-ˌpau̇d-ər
: an explosive mixture used in guns and blasting
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share