Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A smokeless powder containing a large percentage of nitroglycerin: similar to cordite. It was originally introduced by Nobel, and was one of the earliest forms of smokeless powder. It has been modified as to exact composition and mode of manufacture, but at present consists of equal parts of nitroglycerin and soluble guncotton, with about one per cent. of diphenylamine. As made for military purposes by the Italian government it is pressed into small threads known as filite.
Wiktionary
- n. A smokeless propellant made from nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine, developed in the late 19th century.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Chem.) A smokeless powder containing equal parts of soluble nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin.
WordNet 3.0
- n. an explosive (trade name Ballistite) that burns with relatively little smoke; contains pyrocellulose and is used as a propellant
Examples
“~ -- Nobel's powder, known as ballistite, originally consisted of a camphorated blasting gelatine, and was made of 10 parts of camphor in”
“In 1875 Nobel created blasting gelatin, a colloidal suspension of nitrocellulose in glycerin, and in 1887 ballistite, a nearly smokeless powder especially suitable for propelling military projectiles.”
“The leading representatives of this class of propulsive explosives, or 'smokeless powders' are ballistite and cordite, the technology of which will be found fully discussed in special manuals of the subject.”
“Smokeless powders came into use, the explosive properties of picric acid were discovered, and melanite, ballistite, and cordite appeared in the last quarter of the century, so that by 1890 nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin-base powders had generally replaced black powder as a propellant.”
Artillery Through the Ages A Short Illustrated History of Cannon, Emphasizing Types Used in America
“In the case of cordite, as also with ballistite, a considerable quantity of aqueous vapour has to be added to the permanent gases formed.”
“As might perhaps be anticipated from the higher heat of ballistite, its erosive power is slightly greater than that of cordite, while the erosive power of cordite is again slightly greater than that of brown prismatic.”
“The ballistite made in Germany contained more nitro-cellulose, and the finished powder was coated with graphite.”
“~ -- In the case of ballistite the treatment is the same, except that when it is in a very finely granulated condition it need not be cut up.”
“A gramme of ballistite generates 615 c.c. of permanent gases, and gives rise to 1,365 grm. units of heat.”
“Nitro-glycerine is also largely used in the manufacture of smokeless powders, such as cordite, ballistite, and several others.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘ballistite’.
-
Logolepsy
"Luciferous Logolepsy is a collection of over 9,000 obscure English words. Though the definition of an 'English' word might seem to be straightforward, it is not. There exist so many adopted, deriv...
Anschauung, Areopagus, Argus, Briarean, Dei gratia, Dei judicium, Deo volente, Duecento, Foehn, Geflugelte Worte, Gegenschein, Hakenkreuz and 9230 more...
-
Military Matters
words of mass (or minor) destruction
caltrop, stylet, chassepot, baldric, rewet, blunderbuss, musket, flintlock, howitzer, ordnance, casque, dragoon and 148 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for ballistite.
mollusque This is what you did with a good bullet: holding the shell case in one hand, you stuck the projectile into a keyhole, twisted it, and pulled out the case, adding it to your collection. The gunpowder was emptied out (sometimes there were thin strips of ballistite) and deposited in serpentine trails that were set alight.
--Umberto Eco, 1988, Foucault's Pendulum, p. 115 Sep 29, 2008