powder

noun

The fine particles which are the result of reducing a dry substance by pounding, grinding, or triturating, or the result of decay; dust.

An explosive mixture used in gunnery, blasting, etc.; gunpowder.

(cosmetics) A mixture of fine dry, sweet-smelling particles applied to the face or other body parts, to reduce shine or to alleviate chaffing.

A surname.

Ellipsis of powder blue, a color. [A very pale blue colour.]

(informal) Ellipsis of powder snow; light, dry, fluffy snow. [Freshly fallen, uncompacted snow, especially in the context of Alpine skiing]

verb

(transitive) To reduce to fine particles; to pound, grind, or rub into a powder.

(transitive) To sprinkle with powder, or as if with powder.

(intransitive) To turn into powder; to become powdery.

(intransitive) To use powder on the hair or skin.

(intransitive, slang) To depart suddenly; to "take a powder".

(obsolete, transitive) To sprinkle with salt; to corn, as meat.

Roots

pulvispowder- · Latin · dust, powder

Synonyms for powder

gunpowdern talcumn pulverizev talcn flourn trituratev levigatev melinite corditen

Synonyms & related words for powder

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of powder — including gunpowder, talcum, pulverize, talc, flour, triturate. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to powder

Explore words related to powder — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include araroba, pulverable, pulverization, powdery, chrysarobin, pulverulent, granules, granulated. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for powder

Common synonyms for powder include gunpowder, talcum, pulverize, talc, flour, triturate, levigate, melinite — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does powder come from?

The word powder breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root powder-, from Latin pulvis (“dust, powder”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.