powder

«powder» in Mova's school dictionary: A dry substance made of very tiny pieces, like flour… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (powder, powders); verb (powder, powders, powdered, powdering)

meaning for a pupil

1) A dry substance made of very tiny pieces, like flour, dust or crushed chalk. tree →

2) A special powder used for a job: «washing powder», «baby powder», «talcum powder». tree →

3) (verb) To put powder on something. tree →

4) Fresh, light, dry snow (skiers' word). tree →

5) Gunpowder (old use). tree →

sense in the lessons

In science, solids can be ground into powder; powders can be poured like liquids but are still solids; powder dissolves faster than lumps. In everyday life: washing powder, cocoa powder, baking powder. Safety: unknown powders must not be tasted or sniffed; washing powder is poisonous. Phrases: «baking powder», «washing powder», «powdered milk», «keep your powder dry».

examples

• Grind the chalk into a fine powder. tree →
• Mum added baking powder to the cake mix. tree →
• Washing powder is poisonous; don't touch it. tree →
• Sugar powder dissolves faster than sugar cubes. tree →
• Fresh powder is great for skiing. tree →
• The baby smelled of baby powder. tree →
• Never taste a powder you don't know. tree →
• Abandoning the fight he rushed into the powder magazine and fired it. tree →

note

Mostly uncountable: «some powder»; countable for kinds: «different powders». Adjective: powdery, powdered. A powder is a solid, even though it can be poured.

In the corpora

• Trick birthday candles have a metal powder, magnesium, in the wick that catches fire again from the glowing wick.
• Fire extinguishers use water, foam, powder or carbon dioxide; the coloured band shows which fires each one is for.
• In a hand-warmer pack the iron is a fine powder, so it rusts fast enough for you to feel the warmth.
• Sour tastes come from acids; lemons contain citric acid, and sour sweets are dusted with acid powder that stings the tongue.
• Cakes rise with baking powder or whisked eggs instead.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «powder» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.