nitrogen

American

[nahy-truh-juhn] / ˈnaɪ trə dʒən /

noun

Chemistry.

a colorless, odorless, gaseous element that constitutes about four-fifths of the volume of the atmosphere and is present in combined form in animal and vegetable tissues, especially in proteins: used chiefly in the manufacture of ammonia, nitric acid, cyanide, explosives, fertilizer, dyes, as a cooling agent, etc. N; 14.0067; 7; density: 1.2506 grams/liter at 0°C and 760 millimeters pressure.

nitrogen British

/ ˈnaɪtrədʒən /

noun

1. a colourless odourless relatively unreactive gaseous element that forms 78 per cent (by volume) of the air, occurs in many compounds, and is an essential constituent of proteins and nucleic acids: used in the manufacture of ammonia and other chemicals and as a refrigerant. Symbol: N; atomic no: 7; atomic wt: 14.00674; valency: 3 or 5; density: 1/ 2506 kg/m³; melting pt: –210.00°C; boiling pt: –195.8°C
2. ( as modifier )
  
  nitrogen cycle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

nitrogen Scientific

/ nī′trə-jən /

A nonmetallic element that makes up about 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume, occurring as a colorless, odorless gas. It is a component of all proteins, making it essential for life, and it is also found in various minerals. Nitrogen is used to make ammonia, nitric acid, TNT, and fertilizers. Atomic number 7; atomic weight 14.0067; melting point −209.86°C; boiling point −195.8°C; valence 3, 5.
See Periodic Table See Note at oxygen

nitrogen Cultural

A chemical element that makes up about four-fifths of the atmosphere of the Earth. Its symbol is N.

Discover More

Like carbon, nitrogen is a necessary element in the tissues of living things.

Etymology

Origin of nitrogen

First recorded in 1785–95; from French nitrogène; nitro-, -gen

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Power plant stacks emitted more sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide last year, according to an analysis of government data.

From The Wall Street Journal

When soil is damp but not completely waterlogged, nitrogen breakdown may stop midway, producing nitrous oxide instead of harmless nitrogen gas.

From Science Daily

The two most common gases in the Earth's atmosphere are nitrogen and oxygen.

From BBC

In Bennu's samples, however, the two mirror image versions of glutamic acid contain dramatically different nitrogen values.

From Science Daily

Gallium is processed with nitrogen and arsenic to make substrates for high-performance semiconductors.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023