A rare explosive or high-explosive material, sometimes referring to a variant of dynamite or similar compound used in military or industrial applications.
From 'ecrase' (to crush) combined with the mineral/chemical suffix '-ite,' suggesting a crystalline or solid compound. The term appears to be specialized military or chemistry jargon from the late 19th or early 20th century.
This is a word from the age of industrial explosives when chemists were naming new compounds with creative flair! The name literally suggests 'crushing substance'—fitting for an explosive. It's part of that era when dynamite, TNT, and various -ites were invented and rapidly deployed in everything from construction to warfare.
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