Kieselguhr

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈkiːzÉ™lÉ¡ÊŠÉ™/

Origin

From German Kieselguhr, from Kiesel ("pebble, gravel") + Guhr ("guhr").

Full definition of kieselguhr

Noun

1. A kind of soft rock containing the remains of diatoms; it absorbs nitroglycerine and is used to manufacture dynamite.
• 2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, Vintage 2007, p. 191:It was the only name anybody seemed to know him by, “Kieselguhr” being a kind of fine clay, used to soak up nitroglycerine and stabilize it into dynamite.----