Thermite
/ˈθɜːr.maɪt/noun
A mixture of metal powder and metal oxide that produces an extremely hot, self-sustaining reaction when ignited.
Did you know?Thermite was coined in the 1890s from Greek θερμός (thermós), meaning “hot,” and the name was chosen to brand a reaction so violent it can produce molten metal without an external flame.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
θερμός (thermós)
“hot, warm”
Late 19th Century
English
thermite
“a trade name for a metal-reducing incendiary mixture”
1890s
English
thermite
“the name applied to the aluminothermic reaction and its mixture”
Modern English
English
thermite
“an extremely hot incendiary mixture used for welding or cutting metal”
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