Semtex
/ˈsɛmtɛks
/noun [mass noun]
A very pliable, odourless plastic explosive.Three minutes later, the screener noticed that the explosive trace detection machine indicated a positive alert for Semtex, a plastic explosive, from the laptop....
- The grenade launcher, for instance, transformed the striking power of small fighting groups; plastic explosives like Semtex were a similar boon.
- Ms Murphy is still haunted by the memory of how Hindawi tried to send her to her death by packing her hand luggage with Semtex plastic explosives.
Origin
1980s: probably a blend of Semtin (the name of a village in the Czech Republic near the place of production) and explosive.