powder
2
[ pou-der ]
/ ˈpaʊ dər /
verb (used without object)
British Dialect.
to rush.
noun
British Dialect.
a sudden, frantic, or impulsive rush.
Idioms for powder
take a powder, Slang.
to leave in a hurry; depart without taking leave, as to avoid something unpleasant: He took a powder and left his mother to worry about his gambling debts.
Also take a runout powder.
Origin of powder
2
First recorded in 1625–35; origin uncertain
Words nearby powder
British Dictionary definitions for take a powder
powder
/ (ˈpaʊdə) /
noun
a solid substance in the form of tiny loose particles
any of various preparations in this form, such as gunpowder, face powder, or soap powder
fresh loose snow, esp when considered as skiing terrain
take a powder US and Canadian slang
to run away or disappear
verb
to turn into powder; pulverize
(tr)
to cover or sprinkle with or as if with powder
Derived forms of powder
powderer, noun powdery, adjectiveWord Origin for powder
C13: from Old French
poldre, from Latin
pulvis dust
Medical definitions for take a powder
powder
[ pou′dər ]
n.
A dry mass of pulverized or finely dispersed solid particles.
Any of various medicinal or cosmetic preparations in the form of powder.
A single dose of a powdered drug.
Cultural definitions for take a powder
take a powder
To make a quick departure: “When he saw the police coming, the thief decided to take a powder.”
Idioms and Phrases with take a powder (1 of 2)
take a powder
Make a speedy departure, run away, as in I looked around and he was gone—he'd taken a powder. This slangy idiom may be derived from the British dialect sense of powder as “a sudden hurry,” a usage dating from about 1600. It may also allude to the explosive quality of gunpowder.
Idioms and Phrases with take a powder (2 of 2)
powder
see keep one's powder dry; sitting on a powder keg; take a powder.