white powder
Baking soda perhaps
White powder is any finely ground substance that appears white—flour, sugar, baking soda, talcum.
The term often carries sinister connotations: Police found a bag of white powder in his car typically implies cocaine or heroin.
In news contexts, white powder in envelopes suggests anthrax or bioterrorism scares.
The phrase is deliberately vague, letting speakers avoid naming the substance directly.
- cocaineAddictive stimulant narcotic
- anthraxSpore-forming bacterial disease
- chalkSoft sedimentary writing stone
- calcium carbonateMineral in shells and marble
- dry shampooWaterless scalp cleanser
salt · laundry detergent · volcanic ash · ricin · nose candy · snow · ski slope · cream of tartar · sodium hydroxide · titanium dioxide · magnesium oxide · icing · confectioner · sugar rush · diatomaceous earth · line · cut · drug bust
- Forensic Chemicalsluminol, fluorescein, phenolphthalein, silver nitrate
- Powdered Wigspowdered wig, periwig, peruke, barrister wig, judge wig
white powderliquid
Free-flowing substance
clear liquid · water · solution · solid block · gas
white powderblack powder
Original firearm propellant
charcoal powder · soot · carbon black · black pigment · cocoa powder