Saltpetre
/ˌsɔːltˈpiːtə/noun
Potassium nitrate, a crystalline salt formerly used in gunpowder, food preservation, and fertilizers.
Did you know?Saltpetre was a crucial ingredient in black powder, giving the substance a long association with warfare, explosions, and early alchemical experimentation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sal-
“Salt; the ancient root behind words for salt and salty substances.”
Classical Latin
Latin
sal
“Salt.”
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin
sal petrae
“Rock salt, literally “salt of the rock.””
12th–13th Century
Old French
salpestre
“Saltpetre; a form derived from the medieval Latin phrase.”
15th Century
English
salpetre
“Saltpetre, the mineral potassium nitrate.”
Modern English
English
saltpetre
“Potassium nitrate, especially the British spelling of “saltpeter.””