petard

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She had meant to try out Jasper's racing-car at dawn, forgetting that racers have no mufflers, and she had been, as one may say, hoist with her own petard--although I do not know what a petard is and have never been able to find out We drank our tea, but Tish refused to have any or to reply to our knocks, preserving a sulky silence.

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Definitions (8)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun A small bell-shaped bomb used to breach a gate or wall.
  2. noun A loud firecracker.
  3. Word History
    The French used pétard, "a loud discharge of intestinal gas,” for a kind of infernal engine for blasting through the gates of a city. "To be hoist by one's own petard,” a now proverbial phrase apparently originating with Shakespeare's Hamlet (around 1604) not long after the word entered English (around 1598), means "to blow oneself up with one's own bomb, be undone by one's own devices.” The French noun pet, "fart,” developed regularly from the Latin noun pēditum, from the Indo-European root *pezd-, "fart.”

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Examples (50)

  • Thus petard answered petard, and the charge by the Republicans upon the Federalists of taking British gold was returned with interest, and the accusation of receiving bribe money was brought close home to Randolph, if not proved. —  The Project Gutenberg eBook of Albert Gallatin, by John Austin Stevens.
  • The original reference is Shakespearean, and refers to the grave possibility that someone deploying a petard -- a bell-shaped, metal-encased explosive device -- would be blown up before he could escape.
  • The writer states that Obama is nothing more than hoist by his own petard, and Karma has come calling. here to the Feedback section and check the electronic Letters to the Editor, you will see only one of these letters made it on. —  Waldo's Virginia Political Blogroll
  • Furthermore, as one would guess, hanging a petard was a hazardous occupation; it went out of style in the early 1700's PROJECTILES There are four different types of artillery projectiles which, in one form or another, have been used since very early times 1) Battering projectiles (solid shot 2) Exploding shells 3) Scatter shot (case or canister, grape, shrapnel 4) Incendiary and chemical projectiles SOLID SHOT At Havana, Cuba, in the early days, there was an abundance of round stones lying around, put there by Mother Nature. —  Artillery Through the Ages A Short Illustrated History of Cannon, Emphasizing Types Used in America
  • Two men with a petard--then a strange invention--led the way through the gloom, attended by ten picked soldiers. —  In Kings' Byways
 

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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. French pétard, from Old French, from peter, to break wind, from pet, a breaking of wind, from Latin pēditum, from neuter past participle of pēdere, to break wind; see pezd- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Formerly also petar, petarre; = Spanish petardo, petarte = Portuguese Italian petardo, from Old French petard, petart, French pétard; so called (a piece of military humor) from Old French petcr, French péter, break wind, crack, from pet, a breaking wind, from Latin peditum, a breaking wind, from pedere, past participle peditus, break wind, for *perdere = Anglo-Saxon feortan = English fart: see fart.
 

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/pəˈtɑrd/
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