The meaning of Saltpetre and additional information.

Saltpetre(n.) Potassium nitrate; niter; a white crystalline substance, KNO3, having a cooling saline taste, obtained by leaching from certain soils in which it is produced by the process of nitrification (see Nitrification, 2). It is a strong oxidizer, is the chief constituent of gunpowder, and is also used as an antiseptic in curing meat, and in medicine as a diuretic, diaphoretic, and refrigerant.

Saltpetrous(a.) Pertaining to saltpeter, or partaking of its qualities; impregnated with saltpeter.