gunpowder

See also: gun powder

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

gun +‎ powder

Noun

gunpowder (countable and uncountable, plural gunpowders)

  1. An explosive mixture of saltpetre (potassium nitrate), charcoal and sulphur; formerly used in gunnery but now mostly used in fireworks.
  2. Short for gunpowder tea.
Derived terms
Translations

See also

Etymology 2

Possibly due to its smell resembling gunpowder during the British Raj.[1]

Noun

gunpowder (uncountable)

  1. (India, informal) Idli podi/milagai podi; ground-up dry spices mixed with oil and ghee and served alongside idli or dosa.
    • 1989, Bombay: The City Magazine, page 26:
      Some restaurants try and give their dosas the "ethnic" touch by slipping along a small dish of mulaga podi-gunpowder mixed with oil as well, but that isn't always enough.
    • 2015 June 12, Priyadarshini Nandy, “South India's Spice Hero: How to Make the Famous Gunpowder”, in NDTV‎:
      It was a hardcore Andhra lunch from a restaurant famous for its lunch meals. And that is where I had my first run-in with 'gunpowder'. And to be honest, I hated it.
    • 2020 May 27, Pooja Pillai, “The Back Burner: Homemade molagapodi is easier than you think”, in The Indian Express‎:
      In fact, I’ve long suspected that the popularity of gunpowder or molagapodi outside South India has little to do with the burst of flavours it serves.

References
  1. Atul Kochhar (2008) Benares: Michelin Starred Cooking, page 29: “It got its name because it apparently smells similar to the gunpowder used in rifles during the Raj.”
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