dynamite

Everyday

1. A powerful explosive made in sticks, used to blast rock in mines and building work. tree →
2. (verb) To blow something up with dynamite. tree →
3. (informal) Something or someone very exciting, powerful or likely to cause big trouble, as in «That news is dynamite». tree →

In the lessons

In history and science: Alfred Nobel invented dynamite in 1867 and later left his money to start the Nobel Prizes. Safety: explosives are dangerous and only trained experts handle them. In cartoons, a red stick of dynamite with a fizzing fuse is a classic joke. In slang, «dynamite» means amazing.

Examples

• Miners used dynamite to blast the rock. tree →
• Alfred Nobel invented dynamite. tree →
• The old bridge was dynamited to make way for a new one. tree →
• That singer's voice is dynamite! tree →
• In the cartoon, the coyote's dynamite blew up in his face. tree →
• The secret was political dynamite. tree →

Note

Uncountable: «some dynamite», «a stick of dynamite». From Greek «dynamis», power — like «dynamic» and «dynamo».