marching powder

noun

A powder such as talcum used in socks to keep blisters from forming.

Meanings

nounmarching powder (uncountable)
  1. abbreviationellipsisslanguncountableEllipsis of Bolivian marching powder (“cocaine”).

    ‘How much did you do last night? Two grams? I like the old marching powder, Jon, but I prefer to give myself a day or two off after a binge.’

    1998, Mark Chadbourn, Scissorman, Vista, →ISBN, page 25
    3 more examples

    Maybe Malaysia had less corrupt politicians than Jamaica or Columbia. Maybe the population doesn't spend all day stuffing marching powder up its noses and buckles down and gets some work done.

    2000 December 20, Kurious Oranj, “The Poor Are Getting Poorer.”, in nz.politics (Usenet), retrieved 28 Feb 2022

    > >> > How many other people on r.a.p. were in a marching band? > I used to do alot^([sic]) of 'marching powder'...and used to work for bands...does that count?

    2001 February 19, Fletcher, “The Poor Are Getting Poorer.”, in rec.audio.pro (Usenet), retrieved 28 Feb 2022

    She said she'd done that and didn't want to do it again - then hootered off to Peru to write a bilingual novel in English and an obscure South American language I'd never heard of and now can't remember the name. Wound up getting rescued from jail there by her fan club (she was a bit fond of the marching powder).

    2021 November 29, Ahem A Rivet's Shot, “Droning on”, in uk.rec.sheds (Usenet), retrieved 28 Feb 2022
  2. uncountableA powder such as talcum used in socks to keep blisters from forming.

Synonyms & antonyms

Cite this entry
APA

marching powder. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/marching%20powder

MLA

“marching powder.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/marching%20powder. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “marching powder,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/marching%20powder.

Source: marching powder on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.