elephant's toothpaste

English

Alternative forms

• elephant toothpaste

Etymology

The foamy texture and size of the resulting mass suggest a large amount of toothpaste, as might be imagined to be used by a large creature like an elephant.

Noun

elephant's toothpaste (uncountable)

1. A foamy substance caused by the rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide using potassium iodide as a catalyst; the outcome of a popular educational experiment in chemistry.