petard

plural petards · alternative pettard

1. historicalA small, hat-shaped explosive device, used to breach a door or wall.

   For tis the ſport to haue the enginer / Hoiſt with his ovvne petar, an't ſhall goe hard / But I vvill delue one yard belovve their mines, / And blovve them at the Moone: […]

   For it's amusing to have the engineer / Hoisted into the sky with his own explosive, and if I'm lucky / I will dig one yard below their mines, / And blow them towards the Moon: […]

   c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (Second Quarto), London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] L[ing] […], published 1604, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv], signature [I4], verso

   1 more example

   […] Pipes, who acted as the enemy's forlorn hope, advanced to the gate with great intrepidity, and clapping his foot to the door, which was none of the ſtouteſt, with the execution and diſpatch of a petard, ſplit it into a thouſand pieces.

   1751, [Tobias] Smollett, “He is Concerned in a Dangerous Adventure with a Certain Gardener; […]”, in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume I, London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC, page 134

2. Anything potentially explosive, in a non-literal sense.
3. rareA loud firecracker.

present singular third person petards · participle present petarding · participle past petarded · past petarded · alternative pettard

1. archaicTo attack or blow a hole in (something) with a petard.

   1 more example

   The Souldier, if he but go to beſiege a cottage, to ſcale a Caſtle, to robbe a Church, to Pettard [translating petarder] a gate, to force a religious houſe, or any villenous act, before he attempt-it, praieth to God for his aſſiſtance, though his intents and hopes be full-fraught with crueltie, murther, couetiſe, luxurie, ſacriledge and all iniquitie.

   1603, Michel de Montaigne, “Of Praiers and Orisons”, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, page 176

1. A surname.