An early form of smokeless gunpowder made from a mixture of nitroglycerin and nitrocellulose.
From 'ballistic' (relating to projectiles) + '-ite' (substance suffix). Developed in 1887 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel and named for its ballistic properties.
Ballistite was revolutionary—it produced less smoke than traditional gunpowder, giving soldiers a huge advantage because enemies couldn't see where shots were coming from.
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