salt‧pe‧tre British English,
saltpeter American English /ˌsɔːltˈpiːtə $ ˌsɒːltˈpiːtər/
noun [uncountable][
Date: 1300-1400;
Language: Old French;
Origin: salpetre, from Medieval Latin sal petrae 'salt of the rocks']
a substance used in making
gunpowder (=powder that causes explosions) and matches
[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲