Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A highly explosive orange powder, C12H12(NO2)8O10, derived from starch and used for demolition.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An explosive substance obtained by dissolving starch in nitric acid, adding the solution gradually, after cooling, to a mixture of concentrated nitric and sulphuric acids, and washing away all traces of surplus acid.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An explosive powder prepared by the nitration of starch; used for demolition.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • The Air Force was going to take ten worn-out Flying Fortresses, tear their insides out, and fill the planes with 20,000 pounds of nitrostarch, a highly explosive orange powder used for demolition.

    Masters of the Air Donald L. Miller 2006

  • His plane, Zootsuit Black, carried 24,240 pounds of Torpex, a new explosive that was lighter yet more powerful than nitrostarch.

    Masters of the Air Donald L. Miller 2006

  • It was loaded to the roof line with boxes of nitrostarch, giving it a dangerously high center of gravity.

    Masters of the Air Donald L. Miller 2006

  • The Air Force was going to take ten worn-out Flying Fortresses, tear their insides out, and fill the planes with 20,000 pounds of nitrostarch, a highly explosive orange powder used for demolition.

    Masters of the Air Donald L. Miller 2006

  • His plane, Zootsuit Black, carried 24,240 pounds of Torpex, a new explosive that was lighter yet more powerful than nitrostarch.

    Masters of the Air Donald L. Miller 2006

  • It was loaded to the roof line with boxes of nitrostarch, giving it a dangerously high center of gravity.

    Masters of the Air Donald L. Miller 2006

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