Saltpeter (Noun)
Meaning
(KNO3) used especially as a fertilizer and explosive.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- Historically, saltpeter was used as the primary ingredient in making gunpowder due to its oxidizing properties.
- Farmers commonly apply saltpeter to their crops as a fertilizer because of its high nitrogen content.
- The old mine had stopped producing saltpeter after World War II, but its tunnels remained intact.
- Due to the oxidizing properties of saltpeter, the authorities banned its civilian use due to concerns over its use in bomb-making.
- The discovery of vast saltpeter deposits greatly aided in the expansion of the wartime explosives factory.