[sawlt-pee-ter] 
| 1. | the form of potassium nitrate, KNO3, that occurs naturally, used in the manufacture of fireworks, fluxes, gunpowder, etc.; niter. |
| 2. | Chile saltpeter. |
| ni·ter (nī'tər) n. A white, gray, or colorless mineral of potassium nitrate, KNO3, used in making gunpowder. Also called saltpeter. [Middle English nitre, sodium carbonate, natron, from Old French, from Latin nitrum, from Greek nitron, from Egyptian nṯr.] |
| potassium nitrate n. A transparent white crystalline compound, KNO3, used to pickle meat and in the manufacture of pyrotechnics, explosives, matches, rocket propellants, and fertilizers. Also called saltpeter. |
| salt·pe·ter (sôlt'pē'tər) n.
[Middle English salpetre, from Old French, from Medieval Latin sālpetrae : Latin sāl, salt; see sal- in Indo-European roots + Latin petrae, genitive of petra, rock (from Greek petrā; see per-2 in Indo-European roots).] |
| sodium nitrate n. A white crystalline compound, NaNO3, used in solid rocket propellants, in the manufacture of explosives and glass and pottery enamel, and as fertilizer. Also called caliche, Chile saltpeter, saltpeter, soda niter. |