saltpeter

salt·pe·ter  (sôltptr)

n.

1. See potassium nitrate.

2. See sodium nitrate.

3. See niter.

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[Middle English salpetre, from Old French, from Medieval Latin slpetrae : Latin sl, salt; see sal- in Indo-European roots + Latin petrae, genitive of petra, rock (from Greek petr; see per-² in Indo-European roots).]

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saltpeter  (sôltptr)

See potassium nitrate.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

saltpeter - (KNO3) used especially as a fertilizer and explosive niter, nitre, potassium nitrate, saltpetre fertiliser, fertilizer, plant food - any substance such as manure or a mixture of nitrates used to make soil more fertile nitrate - any compound containing the nitrate group (such as a salt or ester of nitric acid)