saltpeter

Thân thiện

A gardener sprinkles saltpeter around the base of a tomato plant.

Definition

Noun: 1. Potassium nitrate: A white crystalline compound with the chemical formula KNO₃. It occurs naturally and is used primarily as a fertilizer, in food preservation, and in the manufacture of explosives and fireworks.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Historically, saltpeter was a key ingredient in gunpowder.
  • Farmers sometimes use saltpeter as a source of nitrogen for crops.
  • The process of curing meat often involves saltpeter.

Advanced Usage

• "Chile saltpeter": This term refers to sodium nitrate (NaNO₃), a different but related compound also used as a fertilizer. It is important to distinguish it from true saltpeter (potassium nitrate).
  • Chile saltpeter was a major export product in the 19th century.

Variants and Related Words

• Saltpetre: The British English spelling of "saltpeter".
• Niter: Another name for potassium nitrate, especially in mineralogical contexts.
• Potassium nitrate: The systematic chemical name.

Synonyms

• Niter (or nitre)
• Potassium nitrate
• Saltpetre (UK spelling)

Related Phrases and Compounds

• Saltpeter works: A historical term for a place where saltpeter was extracted or manufactured.
  • The old saltpeter works can still be seen on the hillside.

Học thuật

Noun

1. (KNO3) used especially as a fertilizer and explosive

Từ đồng nghĩa

• potassium nitrate
• saltpetre
• niter
• nitre