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Definition of "saltpeter" [salt•pe•ter]

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "saltpeter" in a sentence
  • "The American Heritage Dictionary says saltpeter is either potassium nitrate (used for curing meats) or sodium nitrate."
  • "  Refining the saltpeter was the current big problem, but I was hesitant about getting Arabian alchemists in on the project."
  • "If you see sausages in the meat counter that are bright red they have been treated with a preservative known as saltpeter, Westphalia, or nitrates."