thermite
/ˈθəːmʌɪt
/(also thermit /ˈθəːmɪt/)
noun [mass noun]
A mixture of finely powdered aluminium and iron oxide that produces a very high temperature on combustion, used in welding and for incendiary bombs: [as modifier]: a thermite grenade...
- Early British incendiaries filled with thermite - a mixture of iron oxide and powdered aluminium - produced great heat but this dissipated quickly and was confined to a small area.
- From his bulging bag he brought out a small, sleek pipe bomb with a thermite fuse - a home-made grenade - and showed it to the men guarding the house.
- Other joining processes include thermite welding, laser welding, and electron-beam welding.
Origin
Early 20th century: coined in German from thermo- 'of heat' + -ite1.