Cordite

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Cordite \Cord"ite\ (k[^o]rd"[imac]t), n. [From {Cord}, n.]
     (Mil.)
     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.}
     [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  cordite
       n : explosive powder (nitroglycerin and guncotton and
           petrolatum) dissolved in acetone and dried and extruded
           in brown cords