Standard Lemma guide

powder

name · noun · verb · 18 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈpaʊ.də(ɹ)/
  • Northumbria: /ˈpuː.dɐ/
  • US: /ˈpaʊ.dɚ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aʊdə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: P AW1 D ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

name

Meaning 2

Acronym of Protocol for Web Description Resources.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Internet, abbreviation, acronym, alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The fine particles which are the result of reducing a dry substance by pounding, grinding, or triturating, or the result of decay; dust.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A mixture of fine dry, sweet-smelling particles applied to the face or other body parts, to reduce shine or to alleviate chaffing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: cosmetics, lifestyle

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

An explosive mixture used in gunnery, blasting, etc.; gunpowder.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Ellipsis of powder snow; light, dry, fluffy snow.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, informal, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Ellipsis of powder blue, a color.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To reduce to fine particles; to pound, grind, or rub into a powder.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • 25 October 2016, Bettina Elias Siegel writing in New York Times, Should the Food Industry Sneak Vegetables Into Food? In desperation, they dried fruits and vegetables in an old food dehydrator they had, then used their coffee grinder to powder the produce...

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To sprinkle with powder, or as if with powder.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • to powder one's hair
  • 23 March 2016, Seth Augenstein in Laboratory Equipment, FDA Proposes Ban on Powdered Surgical Gloves, Decades after Documenting Health Dangers Gloves were powdered for more than a century to allow doctors and surgeons to slip them on more easily.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To use powder on the hair or skin.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • 1778-1787, Frances Burney, The Diary and Letters of Madame D'Arblay If she is grave, and reads steadily on, she dismisses me, whether I am dressed or not; but at all times she never forgets to send me away while she is powdering, with a consideration not to spoil my clothes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To turn into powder; to become powdery.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To sprinkle with salt; to corn, as meat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To depart suddenly; to "take a powder".

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

any of various cosmetic or medical preparations dispensed in the form of a pulverized powder

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: medicine, medication, medicament, medicinal drug, toiletry, toilet articles

Narrower terms: araroba, Goa powder, chrysarobin, aspirin powder, headache powder, baby powder, Dover's powder, face powder, toilet powder, bath powder, dusting powder

15

noun

Meaning 15

a solid substance in the form of tiny loose particles; a solid that has been pulverized

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pulverization, pulverisation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: solid

16

noun

Meaning 16

a mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur in a 75:15:10 ratio which is used in gunnery, time fuses, and fireworks

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gunpowder

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: explosive

17

verb

Meaning 17

apply powder to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She powdered her nose
  • The King wears a powdered wig

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: make up

Narrower terms: talc

18

verb

Meaning 18

make into a powder by breaking up or cause to become dust

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • pulverize the grains

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: powderize, powderise, pulverize, pulverise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disintegrate

History

Etymology

From Middle English poudre, pouder, pouldre, borrowed from Old French poudre, poldre, puldre, from Latin pulverem, accusative singular of Latin pulvis (“dust, powder”). Doublet of pulver. Compare pollen (“fine flour”), polverine, pulverize.

Across languages

Translations

263 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: poeier — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Albanian: pluhur — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Arabic: مَسْحُوق (masḥūq) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Arabic: بُودْرَة (būdra) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Arabic: بودرة (bōdra, bōdara) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Arabic: مَسْحوق (masḥūg) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Armenian: փոշի (pʻoši) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Assamese: গুৰি (guri) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Assamese: গুড়ি (guri) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Assamese: গুড়া (gura) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Assamese: গুৰা (gura) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Asturian: polvu — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Azerbaijani: toz — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Azerbaijani: pudra — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Azerbaijani: poroşok — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Azerbaijani: توز (tōz) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Basque: hauts — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Belarusian: парашо́к (parašók) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Belarusian: пу́дра (púdra) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Bengali: চূর্ণ (curno) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Bulgarian: прах (prah) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Bulgarian: пра́хче (práhče) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Bulgarian: пу́дра (púdra) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Burmese: အမှုန့် (a.hmun.) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Carpathian Rusyn: порошок (porošok) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Catalan: pols — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Chamicuro: ijpe — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Chinese Cantonese: 粉 (fan2) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Chinese: мянмяр (mianmiar) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Chinese: мянмянзы (mianmianzɨ) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Chinese Mandarin: 粉 (fěn) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Chinese Mandarin: 粉末 (fěnmò) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Czech: prach — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Czech: prášek — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Danish: pulver — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Danish: pudder — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Dolgan: бургалкай (burgalkay) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Dutch: poeder — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Esperanto: pulvoro — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Estonian: pulber — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Faroese: pulvur — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Faroese: putur — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Finnish: jauhe — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Finnish: pulveri — fine particles of any dry substance
  • French: poudre — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Galician: po — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Georgian: ფხვნილი (pxvnili) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • German: Puder — fine particles of any dry substance
  • German: n — fine particles of any dry substance
  • German: Pulver — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Greek: σκόνη (skóni) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Haitian Creole: poud — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Hausa: hōdā̀ — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Hebrew: אַבְקָה (avka) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Hindi: चूर्ण (cūrṇ) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Hindi: पाउडार (pāuḍār) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • White Hmong: hmoov — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Hungarian: por — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Icelandic: duft — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Indonesian: bubuk — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Indonesian: serbuk — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Irish: púdar — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Irish: smúdar — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Italian: polvere — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Japanese: 粉 (kona) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Javanese: bubuk — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Kalmyk: тадхн (tadxn) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Kazakh: ұнтақ (ūntaq) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Khmer: ខ្ញម (khñɑɑm) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Korean: 가루 (garu) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Kyrgyz: порошок (poroşok) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Kyrgyz: күкүм (küküm) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Lao: ຝຸ່ນ (fun) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Lao: ແປ້ງ (pǣng) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Latin: favīlla — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Latin: pulvis — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Latvian: pulveris — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Lithuanian: milteliai — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Macedonian: прав (prav) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Malay: serbuk — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Māori: nehu — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Māori: paura — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Marathi: पूड (pūḍ) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Mòcheno: pulver — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Mòcheno: pua — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Mongolian: хока (xoka) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Norwegian Bokmål: pudder — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Norwegian Bokmål: pulver — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: pudder — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: pulver — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Church Slavic: прахъ (praxŭ) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Old East Slavic: порохъ (poroxŭ) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Pennsylvania German: Bulwer — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Persian: پودْر (pudr) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Iranian Persian: پودْر (pudr) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Plautdietsch: Pulwa — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Polish: proszek — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Polish: puder — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Polish: zasypka — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Polish: przysypka — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Portuguese: pó — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Romanian: pudră — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Romanian: pulbere — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Romanian: praf — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Romansh: pulvra — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Russian: порошо́к (porošók) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Russian: пу́дра (púdra) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Russian: присы́пка (prisýpka) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Russian: прах (prax) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Sanskrit: धूलि (dhūli) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Scottish Gaelic: fùdar — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Serbo-Croatian: пра́шак — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Serbo-Croatian: пра̑х — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Serbo-Croatian: пра̀шина — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Serbo-Croatian: prašak — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Serbo-Croatian: prȃh — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Serbo-Croatian: pràšina — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Sicilian: prùvula — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Slovak: prach — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Slovak: prášok — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Slovene: prah — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Lower Sorbian: prošk — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Upper Sorbian: próšk — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Spanish: polvo — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Swedish: pulver — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Swedish: puder — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Swedish: stoft — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Sylheti: ꠉꠥꠠꠣ (guṛa) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Tagalog: pulbo — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Tagalog: pulbos — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Tajik: хока (xoka) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Tajik: гард (gard) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Tamil: பொடி (poṭi) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Tamil: தூள் (tūḷ) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Tày: bưa — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Telugu: పొడి (poḍi) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Telugu: చూర్ణము (cūrṇamu) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Thai: ผง (pǒng) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Thai: ฝุ่น (fùn) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Tibetan: ཐལ་བ (thal ba) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Tocharian B: pāwe — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Turkish: pudra — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Turkish: toz — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Ottoman Turkish: توز (toz) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Ottoman Turkish: تراب (türâb) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Turkmen: poroşok — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Turkmen: poroşak — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Ukrainian: порошо́к (porošók) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Ukrainian: пу́дра (púdra) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Urdu: پاؤُڈَر (pāuḍar) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Uyghur: پاراشوك (parashok) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Uzbek: kukun — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Uzbek: poroshok — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Vietnamese: bột — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Vietnamese: bụi — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Welsh: powdr — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Welsh: pylor — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Yiddish: פּודער (puder) — fine particles of any dry substance
  • Albanian: pudër — cosmetic product
  • Arabic: بُودْرَة (būdra) — cosmetic product
  • Armenian: դիմափոշի (dimapʻoši) — cosmetic product
  • Armenian: պուդրա (pudra) — cosmetic product
  • Azerbaijani: pudra — cosmetic product
  • Azerbaijani: ağartı — cosmetic product
  • Azerbaijani: kirşan — cosmetic product
  • Azerbaijani: ənlik — cosmetic product
  • Belarusian: пу́дра (púdra) — cosmetic product
  • Bulgarian: пу́дра (púdra) — cosmetic product
  • Chinese Mandarin: 粉 (fěn) — cosmetic product
  • Czech: pudr — cosmetic product
  • Danish: pudder — cosmetic product
  • Dutch: poeder — cosmetic product
  • Estonian: puuder — cosmetic product
  • Finnish: puuteri — cosmetic product
  • French: poudre — cosmetic product
  • Georgian: პუდრი (ṗudri) — cosmetic product
  • German: Puder — cosmetic product
  • Hebrew: פּוּדְרָה (pudra) — cosmetic product
  • Hindi: पाउडर (pāuḍar) — cosmetic product
  • Hungarian: púder — cosmetic product
  • Indonesian: bedak — cosmetic product
  • Irish: púdar éadain — cosmetic product
  • Italian: cipria — cosmetic product
  • Kazakh: опа (opa) — cosmetic product
  • Latvian: pūderis — cosmetic product
  • Lithuanian: pudra — cosmetic product
  • Macedonian: пудра (pudra) — cosmetic product
  • Norwegian Bokmål: pudder — cosmetic product
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: pudder — cosmetic product
  • Persian: پودْر (pudr) — cosmetic product
  • Iranian Persian: پودْر (pudr) — cosmetic product
  • Polish: puder — cosmetic product
  • Romanian: pudră — cosmetic product
  • Russian: пу́дра (púdra) — cosmetic product
  • Serbo-Croatian: пу́дер — cosmetic product
  • Serbo-Croatian: púder — cosmetic product
  • Slovak: púder — cosmetic product
  • Slovene: puder — cosmetic product
  • Swahili: poda — cosmetic product
  • Swedish: puder — cosmetic product
  • Tajik: упо (upo) — cosmetic product
  • Tajik: упа (upa) — cosmetic product
  • Turkish: pudra — cosmetic product
  • Ukrainian: пу́дра (púdra) — cosmetic product
  • Urdu: غازَہ (ġāza) — cosmetic product
  • Urdu: پاؤُڈَر (pāuḍar) — cosmetic product
  • Uzbek: upa — cosmetic product
  • Vietnamese: phấn — cosmetic product
  • Welsh: powdr — cosmetic product
  • Bulgarian: разпрашавам (razprašavam) — to reduce to fine particles
  • Dutch: fijnmalen — to reduce to fine particles
  • Dutch: malen — to reduce to fine particles
  • Faroese: mjølva — to reduce to fine particles
  • Finnish: hienontaa — to reduce to fine particles
  • Finnish: pulveroida — to reduce to fine particles
  • Finnish: jauhaa hienoksi — to reduce to fine particles
  • French: réduire en poudre — to reduce to fine particles
  • French: pulvériser — to reduce to fine particles
  • Irish: púdráil — to reduce to fine particles
  • Irish: púdar a dhéanamh de — to reduce to fine particles
  • Māori: whakanehu — to reduce to fine particles
  • Norwegian: pulverisere — to reduce to fine particles
  • Norwegian: knuse — to reduce to fine particles
  • Spanish: reducir a polvo — to reduce to fine particles
  • Spanish: pulverizar — to reduce to fine particles
  • Spanish: triturar — to reduce to fine particles
  • Tamil: நொறுக்கு (noṟukku) — to reduce to fine particles
  • Dutch: bepoederen — to sprinkle with powder
  • Finnish: sirotella — to sprinkle with powder
  • Finnish: puuteroida — to sprinkle with powder
  • French: poudrer — to sprinkle with powder
  • French: pulvériser — to sprinkle with powder
  • French: saupoudrer — to sprinkle with powder
  • Irish: púdráil — to sprinkle with powder
  • Irish: púdar a chur ar — to sprinkle with powder
  • Norwegian: pudre — to sprinkle with powder
  • Russian: пу́дрить (púdritʹ) — to sprinkle with powder
  • Russian: напу́дрить (napúdritʹ) — to sprinkle with powder
  • Russian: припу́дрить (pripúdritʹ) — to sprinkle with powder
  • Spanish: espolvorear — to sprinkle with powder
  • Bulgarian: напудрям (napudrjam) — to use powder on the hair or skin
  • Finnish: puuteroida — to use powder on the hair or skin
  • French: se poudrer — to use powder on the hair or skin
  • French: se repoudrer — to use powder on the hair or skin
  • Italian: incipriarsi — to use powder on the hair or skin
  • Norwegian: pudre — to use powder on the hair or skin
  • Russian: пу́дриться (púdritʹsja) — to use powder on the hair or skin
  • Russian: напу́дриться (napúdritʹsja) — to use powder on the hair or skin
  • Russian: припу́дриться (pripúdritʹsja) — to use powder on the hair or skin
  • Spanish: ponerse polvos — to use powder on the hair or skin
  • Spanish: empolvarse — to use powder on the hair or skin
  • Spanish: polvearse — to use powder on the hair or skin
  • Spanish: polvear (Mesoamerica) — to use powder on the hair or skin
  • Turkish: pudralamak — to use powder on the hair or skin
  • Finnish: jauhautua — to be reduced to powder
  • Finnish: pulveroitua — to be reduced to powder
  • French: se réduire en poudre — to be reduced to powder
  • French: se pulvériser — to be reduced to powder
  • Spanish: pulverizarse — to be reduced to powder
  • Spanish: hacerse polvo — to be reduced to powder
  • Telugu: పొడి చేయు (poḍi cēyu) — to be reduced to powder
  • Finnish: sirotella suolaa — to sprinkle with salt
  • Finnish: suolata — to sprinkle with salt
Real reading context

powder in complete knowledge articles