a yellow substance obtained by nitrating cellulose with a mixture of nitric and sulphuric acids; guncotton: used to make collodion, plastics, lacquers, and adhesives
Word origin
C19: from pyro- + xyl(o)- + -in
pyroxylin in American English
(paɪˈrɑksəlɪn) or pyˈroxyline (paɪˈrɑksəlɪn)
noun
nitrocellulose, esp. in less highly nitrated and explosive forms than guncotton