释义 |
salt·pe·ter noun also salt·pe·tre \sȯltˈpēd.ə(r), -ētə-, in rapid speech -lˈp-; ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷\ Etymology: alteration (influenced by salt) (I) of earlier salpeter, from Middle English salpetre, salpeter, from Middle French salpetre, from Medieval Latin sal petrae, from Latin sal salt + petrae, gen. of petra rock, from Greek 1. : potassium nitrate 2. : chile saltpeter 3. : an efflorescence of salts sometimes formed on the surface of tobacco leaves during curing and fermentation |