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dynamiter

 [dahy-nuh-mahyt]   Origin

dy·na·mite

   [dahy-nuh-mahyt] noun, verb, -mit·ed, -mit·ing, adjective
noun
1.
a high explosive, originally consisting of nitroglycerin mixed with an absorbent substance, now with ammonium nitrate usually replacing the nitroglycerin.
2.
any person or thing having a spectacular effect.
verb (used with object)
3.
to blow up, shatter, or destroy with dynamite: Saboteurs dynamited the dam.
4.
to mine or charge with dynamite.

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Dynamiter is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
adjective
5.
Informal. creating a spectacular or optimum effect; great; topnotch: a dynamite idea; a dynamite crew.
Origin:
1867; < Swedish dynamit, introduced by A. B. Nobel, its inventor; see dyna(m)-, -ite1

Related forms
dy·na·mit·er, noun
dy·na·mit·ic  [dahy-nuh-mit-ik] , adjective
dy·na·mit·i·cal·ly, adverb
un·dy·na·mit·ed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
dynamite (ˈdaɪnəˌmaɪt)
 
—n
1.  an explosive consisting of nitroglycerine or ammonium nitrate mixed with kieselguhr, sawdust, or wood pulp
2.  informal a spectacular or potentially dangerous person or thing
 
—vb
3.  (tr) to mine or blow up with dynamite
 
[C19 (coined by Alfred Nobel): from dynamo- + -ite1]
 
'dynamiter
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

dynamite
1867, from Sw. dynamit, coined 1867 by its inventor, Sw. chemist Alfred Nobel (1833-96), from Gk. dynamis "power." Fig. sense of "something potentially dangerous" is from 1922.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
dynamite   (dī'nə-mīt')  Pronunciation Key 
A powerful explosive used in blasting and mining. It typically consists of nitroglycerin and a nitrate (especially sodium nitrate or ammonium nitrate), combined with an absorbent material that makes it safer to handle.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary

dynamite definition


  1. n.
    anything potentially powerful: a drug, news, a person. : The story about the scandal was dynamite and kept selling papers for a month.
  2. mod.
    excellent; powerful. : I want some more of your dynamite enchiladas, please.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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