ETYM French nitre, Latin nitrum native soda, natron, Greek; cf. Arabic nitűn, natrűn natron. Related to Natron.
Or saltpeter; Potassium nitrate, KNO3, a mineral found on and just under the ground in desert regions; used in explosives. Niter occurs in Bihar, India, Iran, and Cape Province, South Africa.
The salt was formerly used for the manufacture of gunpowder, but the supply of niter for explosives is today largely met by making the salt from nitratine (also called Chile saltpeter, NaNO3). Saltpeter is a preservative and is widely used for curing meats.
Potassium nitrate; Chile saltpeter.
Saltpeter (potassium nitrate). + prikaži više

Chiefly British variant of niter

Salpeter.

Potassium nitrate; niter.
Former name for potassium nitrate (KNO3), the compound used in making gunpowder (from about 1500). It occurs naturally, being deposited during dry periods in places with warm climates, such as India. salt-peter