dynamite

Coined by Alfred Nobel in 1867. Ultimately from Ancient Greek δύναμις (dúnamis, “power”) +‎ -ite, most likely under the influence of dynamo or dynamic.

• IPA^(key): /ˈdaɪ.nəˌmaɪt/
• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /ˈdɪ.nəˌmaɪt/[1]

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dynamite (usually uncountable, plural dynamites)

1. A class of explosives made from nitroglycerine in an absorbent medium such as kieselguhr, used in mining and blasting.
2. (informal, proscribed) A stick of trinitrotoluene (TNT).
3. (figuratively, slang, uncountable) Anything exceptionally dangerous, exciting or wonderful.
   • 1977 April 30, Steve Sasville, “To Clothe Or Not...”, in Gay Community News, page 6:

     Even though sometimes I take differing views from some articles and letters in GCN, I think it's a dynamite piece of work. Good luck and thanks again.

   • 2005, Alex Turner (lyrics and music), “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor”, performed by Arctic Monkeys:

     And your shoulders are frozen (Cold as the night) / Oh, but you're an explosion (You're dynamite)

   • 2016, Kit Moulton, Annabella, page 108:

     That girl was dynamite. Dark hair with killer blue eyes, bronze skin, and an exquisite full-figured body.
     He warned us: "That issue about what's been happening at that factory, is political dynamite. Keep the lid on it."

4. (slang) A strong drug, in particular heroin, cocaine or potent marijuana.

• nitro

dynamite (third-person singular simple present dynamites, present participle dynamiting, simple past and past participle dynamited)

1. To blow up with dynamite or other high explosive.
   • 1960 February, R. C. Riley, “The London-Birmingham services - Past, Present and Future”, in Trains Illustrated, page 101:

     [...] on Sunday, August 23, the L.N.W.R. tunnel was closed to enable the old brickwork to be dynamited away, traffic being diverted meanwhile through the M.R. tunnel.

2. (figuratively) To dismantle or destroy.
   • 2021 July 29, Harry Litman, “Column: Mississippi’s abortion brief dynamites standing law and ‘super duper’ precedents”, in The Los Angeles Times:

     Even the successful battle in the last century to overturn the court’s infamous Plessy vs. Ferguson “separate but equal” doctrine wasn’t a frontal assault that dynamited precedent.

3. (transitive, of brakes) To apply maximum pressure to very quickly.

   dynamite the brakes

   • 2009, Claude M. Pearson, Portia Rising, page 50:

     Juan dynamited the brakes and the car skidded to a halt.

   • 2014, Mike Davis, Hunting Men: The Career of an Oregon State Police Detective, page 6:

     The 1977 Pontiacs had a tendency of dying if you were at high speed and dynamited the brakes.

   • 2018, Laird Barron, Blood Standard:

     At the critical moment I'd learned from countless action flicks I dynamited the brakes and felt the impact of the sedan against my rear bumper.

4. (intransitive, of brakes) To lock up from being invoked too suddenly.

   the brakes will dynamite

• dynamiter

• cordite

• Jonathon Green (2024) “dynamite n.²”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang

• IPA^(key): /di.na.mit/

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• Homophones: dynamitent, dynamites

dynamite

1. inflection of dynamiter:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative