fulminate of mercury
- noun
- /ˈfʌlmɪneɪt əv ˈmɜrkjʊri/
- Specialized
:
fulminato de mercurio
- The military used fulminate of mercury as a powerful primary explosive in their detonators.
Examples
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When mixed with certain chemicals, fulminate of mercury can cause a rapid and dangerous explosion.
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75 grains of fulminate of mercury in each of them.
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Due to its sensitivity, fulminate of mercury is handled with extreme caution in the laboratory.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A very sensitive explosive used in small caps to start larger explosions
A very unstable chemical that explodes easily when hit or heated and people use in small explosive devices
A very sensitive explosive chemical used in small detonators
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward noun phrase where 'fulminate' (an explosive salt/primer) is specified by 'of mercury' to indicate the metal present, so the overall meaning (mercury-based fulminate) is directly compositional. Chemical naming with 'of' or noun–noun possession is cross-linguistically regular, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings could infer the referent.
Etymology
Fulminate of mercury gets its name from fulminate, a word that means 'to strike like lightning', and mercury, the metal in the compound. Because the chemical gives a sudden, powerful flash or explosion, the name fits this very sensitive explosive used in detonators and percussion caps.