Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun An explosive consisting chiefly of picric acid.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun An explosive, consisting of picric acid melted and cast into a shell. It is difficult to detonate.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Chem.) A high explosive consisting principally of picric acid, used as a shell explosive in the British service; -- so named from the proving grounds at Lydd, England.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun An
explosive consisting mostly ofpicric acid
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Where destruction pure and simple is desired, the shell is charged with a high explosive such as picric acid or T.N.T., the colloquial abbreviation for the devastating agent scientifically known as "Trinitrotoluene," the base of which, in common with all the high explosives used by the different powers and variously known as lyddite, melinite, cheddite, and so forth, is picric acid.
Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War Frederick Arthur Ambrose Talbot
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This alacrity was not consistent with their earlier diatribes against military despotism; but the fact was that since "lyddite" had been found out the experts were chary of making it, and the public still more chary of drinking it.
The Siege of Kimberley T. Phelan
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Faiz instantly pressed his handle, and the great noise and dust and blackness burst up, as at Mudow-wara a week before, and enveloped me where I sat, while the green-yellow sickly smoke of lyddite hung sluggishly about the wreck.
Seven Pillars of Wisdom Thomas Edward 2003
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Some of these columns of water were of a poisonous yellow-green tinge … these would be lyddite shells.
Castles of Steel Massie, Robert K., 1929- 2003
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The mine-action had failed; so at noon, with my pupils, I went down to lay an electric mine over the lyddite, that the detonation of one might fire the other.
Seven Pillars of Wisdom Thomas Edward 2003
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The evil blossoms of greenish-yellow lyddite fumes bloomed quickly in the sunlight, then drifted oily thick on the wind.
The Sound of Thunder Smith, Wilbur, 1933- 1966
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Poisoned by the lyddite fumes, he fought his nausea and when he had controlled it he looked out along the river.
The Sound of Thunder Smith, Wilbur, 1933- 1966
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This one was dangerous, this was where he must command in person, and he ran back to his original position while around him and overhead the storm of shrapnel and lyddite roared on unabated.
The Sound of Thunder Smith, Wilbur, 1933- 1966
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He stopped for the words came slowly, slurred a little from a brain dulled by the lyddite and the hammering of big guns.
The Sound of Thunder Smith, Wilbur, 1933- 1966
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He was sick from the lyddite, and tired-tired to the depths of his soul.
The Sound of Thunder Smith, Wilbur, 1933- 1966
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