Petard
name, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A small, hat-shaped explosive device, used to breach a door or wall. historical
"For tis the ſport to haue the enginer / Hoiſt with his ovvne petar, an't ſhall goe hard / But I vvill delue one yard belovve their mines, / And blovve them at the Moone: […]"
- 2 an explosive device used to break down a gate or wall wordnet
- 3 Anything potentially explosive, in a non-literal sense.
- 4 A loud firecracker. rare
- 1 To attack or blow a hole in (something) with a petard. archaic
"The Souldier, if he but go to beſiege a cottage, to ſcale a Caſtle, to robbe a Church, to Pettard [translating petarder] a gate, to force a religious houſe, or any villenous act, before he attempt-it, praieth to God for his aſſiſtance, though his intents and hopes be full-fraught with crueltie, murther, couetiſe, luxurie, ſacriledge and all iniquitie."
- 1 A surname.
Example
More examples"I got hoisted with my own petard."
Etymology
From Middle French petard; see Modern French pétard (“firecracker”).
From Middle French petarder (Modern French pétarder), from petard + -er (suffix forming verbs).
Related phrases
More for "petard"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.