saltpeter

Example Sentences

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Tultepec was one of the first places that began to produce gunpowder in Mexico during the colonial period, because of the town’s abundant supply of saltpeter, a key ingredient.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 9, 2024

He was perhaps the world’s leading expert on the history of mining for saltpeter, a primary ingredient in gunpowder, which in the 19th century was often harvested from caves.

From New York Times • Dec. 16, 2022

The addition of steel or cast-iron shavings to the saltpeter made them sparkle.

From Salon • Jul. 13, 2021

Many of the records come from the Confederate nitre and mining bureau, which was set up to produce saltpeter, among other things.

From Washington Post • Jul. 9, 2020

By then, the Chinese had observed that a particular mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter, which became known as gunpowder, was especially explosive.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond