# saltpetre

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈsɔːltpiːtə(ɹ)/

## Definitions
1. Potassium nitrate.
2. Sodium nitrate.

## Etymology
From Middle English saltpetre, alteration of Old French salpetre, from Medieval Latin sāl petrae (“salt of the rock”), named so being found as an incrustation. Alteration of the first element is from folk-etymological association with salt (which is, nevertheless, cognate to Latin sāl).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/saltpetre