sodium nitrite

American  

noun

1. Chemistry.  a yellowish or white crystalline compound, NaNO 2 , soluble in water, slightly soluble in alcohol and ether: used in the manufacture of dyes and as a color fixative.

2. Nutrition.  this compound added to food as a preservative and for flavor and color, especially in pork, fish, and beef products: implicated in the formation of suspected carcinogens.

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Etymology

Origin of sodium nitrite

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

In early May, Bartkus engaged with a suicide discussion site, presenting data from his tests on ingesting weak doses of sodium nitrite or seeking to generate carbon monoxide within a car, alongside graphs and charts.

From Los Angeles Times

She was prescribed a sodium bicarbonate infusion, but was instead given a sodium nitrite infusion.

From BBC

Scientists have also studied poisons such as sodium nitrite, but they risk harming other species.

From Seattle Times

He worked as a cook at a Toronto restaurant, and, somehow, he had access to sodium nitrite, commonly called toxic salt.

From New York Times

Canadian police say Law, from the Toronto area, used a series of websites to market and sell sodium nitrite, a substance commonly used to cure meats that can be deadly if ingested.

From Seattle Times