ammonium nitrate

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a white, crystalline, water-soluble powder, NH 4 NO 3 , usually produced by reacting nitric acid with vaporous ammonia: used chiefly in explosives, fertilizers, freezing mixtures, and in the manufacture of nitrous oxide.

ammonium nitrate

noun

1. a colourless highly soluble crystalline solid used mainly as a fertilizer and in explosives and pyrotechnics. Formula: NH 4 NO 3

ammonium nitrate

1. A colorless crystalline salt used in fertilizers, explosives, and solid rocket propellants. Chemical formula: NH 4 NO 3 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of ammonium nitrate¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

The MV Ruby's cargo of 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate will be moved to another vessel at Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.

From BBC

The ship, owned by Maltese firm Ruby Enterprise, set off from the northern Russian port of Kandalaksha in July - with 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate on board.

From BBC

Police posted photos of small cylinders of explosives with fuses and sacks of ammonium nitrate on the force’s social media accounts.

From Seattle Times

Takata used the volatile chemical ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to quickly fill the air bags in a crash.

From Seattle Times

The death is one of 27 in the U.S. caused by the faulty inflators, which used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash.

From Seattle Times