trinitrotoluene

noun

tri·​ni·​tro·​tol·​u·​ene ˌtrī-ˌnī-trō-ˈtäl-yə-ˌwēn How to pronounce trinitrotoluene (audio)
: tnt

Examples of trinitrotoluene in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Years ago, plant biologists noticed that trinitrotoluene (TNT, an explosive) builds up in root tissues, choking plants. WIRED, 30 Oct. 2023 For three years during the Second World War, Plum Brook manufactured explosives, namely trinitrotoluene (TNT), dinitrotoluene (DNT), and pentolite. Amy Shira Teitel, Discover Magazine, 19 Mar. 2019 The patrollers load their packs with explosives — cast boosters of Pentolite, a mix of pentaerythritol tetranitrate and trinitrotoluene, or TNT — and tiptoe into avalanche terrain. Jason Blevins, The Denver Post, 12 Jan. 2017

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

circa 1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trinitrotoluene was circa 1900

Dictionary Entries Near trinitrotoluene

Cite this Entry

“Trinitrotoluene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trinitrotoluene. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

trinitrotoluene

noun
tri·​ni·​tro·​tol·​u·​ene ˌtrī-ˌnī-trō-ˈtäl-yə-ˌwēn How to pronounce trinitrotoluene (audio)
: a flammable toxic compound C7H5N3O6 obtained by nitrating toluene and used as a high explosive and in chemical synthesis

called also TNT

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