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gunpowder
(Encyclopedia)gunpowder, explosive mixture; its most common formula, called “black powder,” is a combination of saltpeter, sulfur, and carbon in the form of charcoal. Historically, the relative amounts of the c...Gunpowder Plot
(Encyclopedia)Gunpowder Plot, conspiracy to blow up the English Parliament and King James I on Nov. 5, 1605, the day set for the king to open Parliament. It was intended to be the beginning of a great uprising of E...firearm
(Encyclopedia)firearm, device consisting essentially of a straight tube to propel shot, shell, or bullets by the explosion of gunpowder. Although the Chinese discovered gunpowder as early as the 9th cent., they did...Cai Guo-Qiang
(Encyclopedia)Cai Guo-Qiang, 1957–, Chinese painter and a sculptor especially known for using gunpowder as a medium and explosions and fireworks as means of artistic expression, b. Quanzhou, Fujian prov., studied...Schwarz, Berthold
(Encyclopedia)Schwarz, Berthold bĕrˈtôlt shvärts [key], fl. 14th cent., German Franciscan monk and alchemist. It was formerly widely believed, especially in Germany, that he invented gunpowder and was the first...Fawkes, Guy
(Encyclopedia)Fawkes, Guy: see Gunpowder Plot. ...Du Pont, Eleuthère Irénée
(Encyclopedia)Du Pont, Eleuthère Irénée do͞o pŏnt, Fr. ālötĕrˈ ērānāˈ dü pôN [key], 1772–1834, American gunpowder manufacturer, b. Paris, France; son of Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours. At the age...powder
(Encyclopedia)powder, any mass of fine particles or dust prepared by various mechanical means, e.g., grinding of solid substances, or by chemical means, e.g., precipitation from solutions. In a special sense, the w...Forsyth, Alexander John
(Encyclopedia)Forsyth, Alexander John fôrsīthˈ [key], 1769–1843, Scottish inventor. He invented in 1807 the first workable percussion cap for the ignition of gunpowder in firearms. Forsyth refused an offer fro...gun
(Encyclopedia)gun, in general, any weapon that discharges shot, shells, or bullets by the explosion of gunpowder or some other explosive from a straight tube. See firearm; artillery; small arms. ...Browse by Subject
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