powder

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A substance consisting of ground, pulverized, or otherwise finely dispersed solid particles.
2. n. Any of various preparations in the form of powder, as certain cosmetics and medicines.
3. n. An explosive mixture, such as gunpowder.
4. n. Light dry snow.
5. v. To reduce to powder; pulverize.
6. v. To dust or cover with or as if with powder.
7. v. Slang To defeat handily or decisively.
8. v. To become pulverized; turn into powder.
9. v. To use powder as a cosmetic.
10. idiom. keep (one's) powder dry To be ready for a challenge with little warning.
11. idiom. take a powder To make a quick departure; run away.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. Fine, minute, loose, uncompacted particles, such as result from pounding or grinding a solid substance; dust.
2. n. A preparation or composition, in the form of dust or minute loose particles, applied in various ways, as in the toilet, etc.: as, hair-powder; face-powder.
3. n. A composition of saltpeter, sulphur, and charcoal, mixed and granulated: more particularly designated gunpowder (which see).
4. n. Seasoning, either of salt or of spices.
5. n. A medical remedy, or a dose of some medical remedy, in the form of powder, or minute loose or uncompacted particles: as, he has to take three powders every hour.
6. To reduce to powder; pulverize; triturate; pound, grind, or rub to fine particles.
7. To sprinkle with powder, dust, ashes, etc.; specifically, to put powder upon: as, to powder the hair or the face.
8. To sprinkle with salt, spices, or other seasoning; hence, to corn; pickle.
9. To sprinkle as with powder; stud; ornament with a small pattern, continually repeated.
10. To whiten by some application of white material in the form of powder: thus, lace which has grown yellow is powdered by being placed in a packet of white lead and beaten.
11. To scatter; place here and there as if sprinkled like powder: as, to powder violets on a silk ground.
12. To fall to dust; be reduced to powder.
13. To apply powder to the hair or face; use powder in the toilet.
14. To attack violently; make a great stir.

Wiktionary

1. n. The fine particles to which any dry substance is reduced by pounding, grinding, or triturating, or into which it falls by decay; dust.
2. n. An explosive mixture used in gunnery, blasting, etc.; gunpowder.
3. n. informal Light, dry, fluffy snow.
4. v. transitive To reduce to fine particles.
5. v. transitive To sprinkle with powder, or as with powder.
6. v. intransitive To be reduced to powder; to become like powder.
7. v. intransitive To use powder on the hair or skin.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The fine particles to which any dry substance is reduced by pounding, grinding, or triturating, or into which it falls by decay; dust.
2. n. An explosive mixture used in gunnery, blasting, etc.; gunpowder. See Gunpowder.
3. v. To reduce to fine particles; to pound, grind, or rub into a powder; to comminute; to pulverize; to triturate.
4. v. To sprinkle with powder, or as with powder; to be sprinkle.
5. v. obsolete To sprinkle with salt; to corn, as meat.
6. v. To be reduced to powder; to become like powder.
7. v. To use powder on the hair or skin.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a solid substance in the form of tiny loose particles; a solid that has been pulverized
2. n. a mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur in a 75:15:10 ratio which is used in gunnery, time fuses, and fireworks
3. v. make into a powder by breaking up or cause to become dust
4. v. apply powder to
5. n. any of various cosmetic or medical preparations dispensed in the form of pulverized powder