cordite
/ˈkɔːdaɪt/ noun
Forms cordites
- noun A smokeless propellant made by combining two high explosives, nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine, used in some firearm ammunition.
Etymology
From cord + -ite, because the material is manufactured into long cordlike cylinders.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A smokeless powder composed of nitroglycerin, guncotton, and mineral jelly, and used by the British army and in other services. In making it the ingredients are mixed into a paste with the addition of acetone and pressed out into cords (of various diameters) resembling brown twine, which are dried and cut to length. A variety containing less nitroglycerin than the original is known as cordite M. D.
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “cordite”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details