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# gunpowder

noun (gunpowder, uncountable)

«gunpowder» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

Gunpowder is a black powder that explodes when lit, made from saltpetre, charcoal and sulphur; it was used in old guns and cannons and is still used in fireworks. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gunpowder/#m1)

### In the lessons

In history lessons gunpowder was invented in China, first used for fireworks and then weapons, and changed warfare around the world. In the UK, the Gunpowder Plot was a failed plan by Guy Fawkes and others to blow up Parliament and King James I, remembered on Bonfire Night with fireworks. In science lessons it shows a chemical reaction that gives out heat, light and gas very fast. Phrases: the Gunpowder Plot, barrels of gunpowder, keep your powder dry.

### Examples

- Gunpowder was invented in ancient China. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gunpowder/#x1)
- Guy Fawkes hid barrels of gunpowder under Parliament. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gunpowder/#x2)
- We remember the Gunpowder Plot on Bonfire Night. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gunpowder/#x3)
- Fireworks use a kind of gunpowder to shoot into the sky. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gunpowder/#x4)
- Pirates kept their gunpowder dry in the ship's hold. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gunpowder/#x5)
- Gunpowder is a mixture of saltpetre, charcoal and sulphur. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gunpowder/#x6)
- Never play with fireworks or anything that contains gunpowder. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gunpowder/#x7)
- The cannon fired with a bang and a puff of gunpowder smoke. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gunpowder/#x8)
- The air was cold, the battle was hot; there was mist in the air, but still more gunpowder-smoke. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gunpowder/#x9)

### Note

Uncountable: «some gunpowder», «barrels of gunpowder», not «a gunpowder». Compound word: gun + powder. Safety: gunpowder and fireworks are dangerous and only adults should handle them. «Gunpowder tea» is a kind of green tea rolled into little balls, not explosive.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «gunpowder» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gunpowder/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«gunpowder» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/gunpowder.html) on Mova free.