saltpeter
/ˌsɔltˈpitər/
noun
- A white, salty chemical compound (potassium nitrate) used in making gunpowder, fireworks, and as a food preservative.
- Some old recipes for curing meat include a small amount of saltpeter.
- Farmers once used saltpeter as a fertilizer to enrich the soil.
- Historically, saltpeter was a key ingredient in black gunpowder.
Synonyms