noun
Meaning 1
A barrel containing gunpowder.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Phrase guide
powder keg
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
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noun
Meaning 2
An explosive or otherwise volatile situation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
- powder keg of Europe (term describing the unstable state of the Balkans before World War I)
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
keg (usually made of metal) for gunpowder or blasting 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: keg
noun
Meaning 4
a potentially explosive state
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: danger
History
Etymology
No etymology was provided for this word.
Across languages
Translations
30 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Basque: bolborategi — barrel of gun powder
- Chinese Mandarin: 火藥桶 /火药桶 (huǒyàotǒng) — barrel of gun powder
- Danish: krudttønde — barrel of gun powder
- Danish: tønde krudt — barrel of gun powder
- Finnish: ruutitynnyri — barrel of gun powder
- French: poudrière — barrel of gun powder
- German: Pulverfass — barrel of gun powder
- Hungarian: puskaporos hordó — barrel of gun powder
- Icelandic: púðurtunna — barrel of gun powder
- Italian: polveriera — barrel of gun powder
- Polish: beczka prochu — barrel of gun powder
- Portuguese: barril de pólvora — barrel of gun powder
- Russian: порохова́я бо́чка (poroxovája bóčka) — barrel of gun powder
- Spanish: polvorín — barrel of gun powder
- Swedish: kruttunna — barrel of gun powder
- Turkish: barut fıçısı — barrel of gun powder
- Ukrainian: бочка для пороху (bočka dlja poroxu) — barrel of gun powder
- Chinese Mandarin: 火藥桶 /火药桶 (huǒyàotǒng) — volatile situation
- Danish: krudttønde — volatile situation
- Finnish: ruutitynnyri — volatile situation
- French: poudrière — volatile situation
- German: Pulverfass — volatile situation
- Icelandic: púðurtunna — volatile situation
- Italian: polveriera — volatile situation
- Macedonian: буре барут (bure barut) — volatile situation
- Polish: beczka prochu — volatile situation
- Russian: порохова́я бо́чка (poroxovája bóčka) — volatile situation
- Spanish: polvorín — volatile situation
- Swedish: krutdurk — volatile situation
- Ukrainian: порохова́ бо́чка (poroxová bóčka) — volatile situation