Meaning & use
salt petre
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountablechemistryold-fashioned
A white crystalline substance used in gunpowder, fireworks, and as a preservative for meat.
Grammar: No plural; use it like water or salt. Say 'some salt petre', not 'a salt petre'.
Gunpowder is made from charcoal, sulfur, and salt petre.
The old recipe for cured ham calls for salt petre to keep the meat pink.
In the past, salt petre was scraped from the walls of stables.
noununcountablechemistryspecialist
The chemical compound potassium nitrate (KNO3), used in fertilizers and as a food preservative.
Grammar: This is the technical name; in science writing, use potassium nitrate for clarity.
Salt petre is the common name for potassium nitrate.
The lab stored salt petre in a sealed container away from heat.
Farmers sometimes use salt petre as a source of nitrogen for crops.
Common combinations
- salt petre and sulfur
- The mixture of salt petre and sulfur creates a strong smell when burned.
- a pinch of salt petre
- Add just a pinch of salt petre to the curing mix.
- salt petre works
- The old salt petre works were abandoned in the 19th century.
Synonyms and how they differ
- potassium nitrate
- This is the modern chemical name; use it in scientific contexts.
- niter
- An older word for the same substance, now rare.
Commonly confused: salt petre or saltpeter?
salt petre vs saltpeter
This is the American spelling of the same word; British English uses 'salt petre'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'salt petre' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Salt petre' is an uncountable noun, so it cannot take 'a' or a plural verb. It is used as a substance, as in the correct sentence. The other options treat it as countable or as a verb, which is wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “salt petre”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.