Note: The translation for this entry is currently under quality review. Some content is temporarily displayed in English only.
cordite
Cordite is a technical term used primarily in military, historical, and ballistics contexts. It carries a connotation of industrial power and early 20th-century warfare, specifically associated with the transition from black powder to smokeless propellants. Because it is a specific chemical compound, it is used in a precise, descriptive manner rather than a figurative one.
As a mass noun referring to a chemical substance, it is uncountable. It does not have a plural form in standard usage; one would refer to "amounts of cordite" or "cordite charges" rather than "cordites."
Meanings
A smokeless propellant used in artillery and small arms, consisting of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin dissolved in acetone.
The artillery shells were loaded with cordite to ensure a powerful blast.