POW'DER, noun [Latin pulvis.] 1. Any dry substance composed of minute particles, whether natural or artificial; more generally, a substance comminuted or triturated to fine particles. Thus dust is the powder of earth; flour is the powder of grain. But the word is particularly applied to substances reduced to fine particles for medicinal purposes. 2. A composition of saltpeter, sulphur and charcoal, mixed and granulated; gun-powder. 3. Hair powder; pulverized starch. POW'DER, verb transitive To reduce to fine particles; to comminute; to pulverize; to triturate; to pound, grind or rub into fine particles. 1. To sprinkle with powder; as, to powder the hair. 2. To sprinkle with salt; to corn; as meat. POW'DER, verb intransitive To come violently. [Not in use.]
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI