Adjacent Words

Petard definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PET`ARD, n. An engine of war made of metal, nearly in the shape of a hat, to be loaded with powder and fixed on a madrier or plank, and used to break gates, barricades, draw-bridges and the like, by explosion.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an explosive device used to break down a gate or wall

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle French, from peter to break wind, from pet expulsion of intestinal gas, from Latin peditum, from neuter of peditus, past participle of pedere to break wind; akin to Greek bdein to break wind Date: 1598 1. a case containing an explosive to break down a door or gate or breach a wall 2. a firework that explodes with a loud report

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. hist. 1 a small bomb used to blast down a door etc. 2 a kind of firework or cracker. Phrases and idioms: hoist with one's own petard affected oneself by one's schemes against others. Etymology: F pétard f. péter break wind

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Petard Pe*tard", n. [F. p['e]tard, fr. p['e]ter to break wind, to crack, to explode, L. pedere, peditum.] (Mil.) A case containing powder to be exploded, esp. a conical or cylindrical case of metal filled with powder and attached to a plank, to be exploded against and break down gates, barricades, drawbridges, etc. It has been superseded.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(petards) If someone who has planned to harm someone else is hoist with their own petard or hoist by their own petard, their plan in fact results in harm to themselves. The students were hoist by their own petards, however, as Granada decided to transmit the programme anyway. PHRASE: N inflects