cordite

[ kawr-dahyt ]

noun
  1. a smokeless, slow-burning powder composed of 30 to 58 percent nitroglycerin, 37 to 65 percent nitrocellulose, and 5 to 6 percent mineral jelly.

Origin of cordite

1
First recorded in 1885–90; cord + -ite1, so called from its cordlike form

Words Nearby cordite

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How to use cordite in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cordite

cordite

/ (ˈkɔːdaɪt) /


noun
  1. any of various explosive materials used for propelling bullets, shells, etc, containing cellulose nitrate, sometimes mixed with nitroglycerine, plasticizers, and stabilizers

Origin of cordite

1
C19: from cord + -ite 1, referring to its stringy appearance

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for cordite

cordite

[ kôrdīt′ ]


  1. An explosive powder consisting of nitrocellulose, nitroglycerin, and petroleum jelly, used as a propellant for guns. It does not generate smoke and is shaped into cords.

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