smokeless powder

noun

An explosive, similar to gunpowder, consisting of nitrocellulose mixed with nitroglycerine or nitroguanidine, which burns with very little smoke.

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Meanings

nounsmokeless powder (countable and uncountable, plural smokeless powders)

plural smokeless powders

  1. countableuncountableAn explosive, similar to gunpowder, consisting of nitrocellulose mixed with nitroglycerine or nitroguanidine, which burns with very little smoke.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounan explosive (trade name Ballistite) that burns with relatively little smoke; contains pyrocellulose and is used as a propellant

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Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Finnish savuton ruuti
  • savuton ruutiexplosive
Polish proch bezdymny
  • proch bezdymnyexplosive
Ukrainian безди́мний по́рох
  • безди́мний по́рох (bezdýmnyj pórox)explosive
Cite this entry
APA

smokeless powder. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smokeless%20powder

MLA

“smokeless powder.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smokeless%20powder. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “smokeless powder,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smokeless%20powder.

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