cordite

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "cordite" is correct and usable in written English.
It refers to a type of smokeless propellant used in ammunition and can be used in discussions about firearms, military history, or explosives. Example: "The soldiers were trained to handle various types of ammunition, including those loaded with cordite."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Doherty is free from the whiff of cordite that swirls around many of the Sinn Féin candidates north and south of the Irish border.

The Guardian

No, the party leader who really needs to wake up and smell the cordite this weekend resides south of the border in the constituency of Dublin South-West.

The Guardian

By 1917, HM Factory Gretna was producing 800 tonnes of cordite a week – more than from all the other plants combined.

The Guardian

By far the largest was HM Factory Gretna in southern Scotland, which produced cordite – a complex system involving nitric and sulphuric acids, nitroglycerine, gun cotton, mineral jelly, alcohol and ether.

The Guardian

The whiff of cordite is also helpful to the coalition's drive to portray Mr Osborne's plan for eliminating most of the structural deficit within five years as a campaign of necessity rather than political choice.

The Economist

They wonder: are the skills that are celebrated inside the club useful in the world outside its windows?In this section The next frontier After the horse has been bolted The say-on-pay payday Up the right aisle Running out of road Time is money Smog and mirrors How to make a killing ReprintsOnce upon a time business could not get enough of the smell of cordite.

The Economist

A less charitable interpretation is that Messrs Hague and Lilley cooked up a plan to put some real distance between themselves and Thatcherism and then went wobbly at the first whiff of cordite.

The Economist

Modified cordite compositions containing other organic nitrates, replacing the nitroglycerin, were introduced during World War II.

Encyclopedia Britannica

July 17 , 1827Woolwich, England September 6, 1902 City of Westminster, England Sir Frederick Augustus Abel, (born July 17 , 1827 Woolwich, London, Eng. died Sept. 6, 1902, Westminster, London) English chemist and explosives specialist who, with the chemist Sir James Dewar, invented cordite (1889), later adopted as the standard explosive of the British army.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The original cordite (Cordite Mark I), as manufactured at the royal gunpowder factory at Waltham Abbey, England, in 1890, was composed of 37 parts of guncotton, 57.5 parts of nitroglycerin, and 5 parts of mineral jelly together with 0.5 percent of acetone.

Encyclopedia Britannica

In 1887 Nobel introduced ballistite, one of the first nitroglycerin smokeless powders and a precursor of cordite.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing the sensory experience of explosions, consider the phrase "smell of cordite" to evoke a visceral image of warfare or industrial processes.

Common error

Avoid using "cordite" as a generic term for all explosives. It specifically refers to a type of smokeless propellant made from nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine. Use more general terms like "explosives" or "propellants" when the specific type is not relevant or known.

Linguistic Context

"Cordite" functions primarily as a noun, denoting a specific type of smokeless explosive. Ludwig shows numerous examples where it appears as the object of a sentence or within descriptive phrases, clarifying its role in military and industrial contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

36%

Encyclopedias

24%

Formal & Business

16%

Less common in

Science

12%

Academia

6%

Reference

6%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "cordite" is a grammatically correct noun referring to a specific type of smokeless propellant. Ludwig confirms its frequent usage across diverse sources, including news media and encyclopedias, with a generally neutral to formal register. While the term is valid and understandable, it is crucial to avoid its misuse as a generic term for all explosives. Understanding its specific meaning ensures clarity and precision in writing, particularly in technical or historical contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

smokeless powder

Refers to a general category of propellants that includes cordite.

explosive propellant

Emphasizes the explosive and propulsive properties.

gunpowder

A more general and historical term for explosive powders.

detonating agent

Highlights the detonation aspect of the explosive.

nitrocellulose propellant

Focuses on the specific chemical composition.

ballistite

Early smokeless powder.

high explosive

Refers to an explosive with a high rate of detonation.

blasting agent

Focuses on the use of the explosive for blasting purposes.

the smell of gunpowder

Describes the scent associated with explosions.

the scent of explosives

Describes the scent associated with explosions.

FAQs

How is "cordite" used in a sentence?

"Cordite" is typically used as a noun to refer to a specific type of smokeless propellant, as in, "The factory produced large quantities of "cordite" during World War I."

What's a good alternative to "cordite"?

Depending on the context, you might use "smokeless powder", "explosive propellant", or simply "gunpowder" as alternatives to "cordite".

Is it correct to use "cordite" to describe any explosive?

No, "cordite" specifically refers to a type of smokeless propellant made from nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine. Using it for other explosives would be technically incorrect.

What is the historical significance of "cordite"?

"Cordite" was a significant advancement in military technology, replacing black powder in many applications due to its smokeless properties and greater efficiency.