nitrile

[ nahy-tril, -treel, -trahyl ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. any of a class of organic compounds with the general formula RC≡N.

nitrile

/ ˈnaɪtrɪl; -traɪl /

noun

1. any one of a class of organic compounds containing the monovalent group -CN Also called (not in technical usage)cyanide

nitrile

/ nī′trəl /

1. An organic compound, such as acrylonitrile, containing the cyanide group CN. Nitriles are typically colorless solids or liquids and have a distinctive smell.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nitrile¹

1840–50; nitr- + -ile, perhaps variant of -yl

Example Sentences

I spent an hour sprinting to four drug stores, three of which were sold out of the blue non-latex Nitrile gloves I sought.

From The Daily Beast

This compound combines with hydrocyanic acid to form a nitrile which hydrolyses to dichlor-hydroxy iso-butyric acid.

From Project Gutenberg

This process is the exact reverse of the nitrile synthesis, described above.

From Project Gutenberg

Emulsin also decomposes amygdalin directly into these compounds without the intermediate formation of mandelic nitrile glucoside.

From Project Gutenberg

Provided the solid nitrile is not present in too great excess.

From Project Gutenberg

At this point there exists the invariant system solid nitrile, two liquid phases, vapour.

From Project Gutenberg