the.com/powder
matter ground down until it forgets it was ever solid.
means A dry substance reduced to fine, loose particles, whether by grinding, crushing, or drying — from flour to gunpowder to the stuff on your face.
from From Old French 'poudre,' meaning dust or powder, descending from Latin 'pulvis' (genitive 'pulveris'), simply 'dust.' The same Latin root powders our 'pulverize' — literally 'to make into dust' — so to pulverize something is just to powder it the violent way.
- gunpowder origin
- Chinese alchemists sought immortality, found explosives instead
- flour danger
- Suspended in air, it can violently explode
- baby talc
- Once asbestos-tainted, sparked billions in lawsuits
- powder skiing
- Named for the dry, weightless snow it craves
gunpowder — invented in 9th century china, revolutionized warfare by enabling cannons and firearms
talc powder — johnson & johnson's baby powder, widely used since 1893, now subject to litigation over asbestos claims
baking powder — leavening agent patented in 1857, essential ingredient in cakes and biscuits worldwide
face powder — cosmetic product popularized in 1920s flappers era, earliest form was rice powder in asia