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

The South was so desperate for saltpeter for gunpowder that one Alabama official reportedly placed a newspaper ad asking that the contents of chamber pots be saved for collection.

From Washington Post • Jul. 9, 2020

He was able to rent an ancient mansion that had belonged to one of the great saltpeter fortunes before they invented the synthetic substitute that had shot the whole industry to hell.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende