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noun Uncommon

TNT

tee-en-TEE
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TNT (noun) means a powerful yellow crystalline explosive, chemically trinitrotoluene, used in munitions, demolition and mining, and used as the standard unit for measuring explosive yield. Example: “The charge was equivalent to about two hundred tonnes of TNT.”

noun
1
A powerful yellow crystalline explosive, chemically trinitrotoluene, used in munitions, demolition and mining, and used as the standard unit for measuring explosive yield.
"The charge was equivalent to about two hundred tonnes of TNT."
"Engineers packed the pillars with TNT before the demolition."
2
informal Explosive energy or force, used figuratively of a person, performance or situation that is dangerously volatile or spectacularly powerful.
"That front three is pure TNT."
"Raising the subject at dinner would be TNT."
abbreviation
1
proper noun The American cable television network TNT, and the international parcel delivery company TNT.
"The playoff game is on TNT."
"The parcel went out by TNT overnight."

How to use TNT

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA common explosive, also used as the yardstick for measuring how big a blast is.

When to use it

Standard in technical, military and news writing. The figurative sense is informal and mostly appears in sport and entertainment commentary.

Memory tip

Always capitalised, and treated as uncountable: "a lot of TNT", not "many TNTs".

Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
dynamite → C-4 RDX → nitroglycerin
Common pairings
tons of TNT TNT equivalent kilotons of TNT block of TNT
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The charge was equivalent to about two hundred tonnes of _____.

Etymology

An abbreviation of trinitrotoluene, from tri- "three", nitro- (the nitro chemical group) and toluene, the aromatic hydrocarbon it is made from.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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trinitrotoluene high explosive

Related words

trinitrotoluene

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between TNT and dynamite?
They are different explosives. Dynamite is nitroglycerin absorbed into an inert material, invented by Alfred Nobel; TNT is trinitrotoluene, a distinct compound that is far more stable, will not detonate from a simple flame or shock, and requires a detonator. Dynamite is actually the more powerful of the two by weight.
Why is explosive power measured in tons of TNT?
Because TNT detonates with a consistent, well-measured energy release, roughly 4.184 gigajoules per tonne, which makes it a convenient reference. Saying a bomb had a yield of 15 kilotons means it released the energy of 15,000 tonnes of TNT, not that it contained any.
Is TNT the same as C-4?
No. C-4 is a plastic explosive made mainly from RDX mixed with a binder, which makes it mouldable and more powerful than TNT. TNT is a hard crystalline solid, usually cast or pressed into a charge.
What is the meaning of TNT?
"TNT" (noun) means a powerful yellow crystalline explosive, chemically trinitrotoluene, used in munitions, demolition and mining, and used as the standard unit for measuring explosive yield.

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