ammonium

[ uh-moh-nee-uhm ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. the univalent ion, NH 4 + , or group, NH 4 , which plays the part of a metal in the salt formed when ammonia reacts with an acid.

ammonium

/ əˈməʊnɪəm; -njəm /

noun

1. modifier of, consisting of, or containing the monovalent group NH 4 – or the ion NH 4 ⁺

   ammonium compounds

ammonium

/ ə-mō′nē-əm /

1. A positively charged ion, NH 4 , derived from ammonia and found in a wide variety of organic and inorganic compounds. Compounds of ammonium chemically resemble the alkali metals.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ammonium¹

< New Latin; ammonia, -ium; coined by J. J. Berzelius in 1808

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

Ammonium nitrate is regularly transported around the world and used as fertiliser but is also used in explosives.

From BBC

The ship is carrying seven times the amount of ammonium nitrate that caused the Beirut explosion.

From BBC

At least 200 people were killed and 5,000 injured when thousands of tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely at a warehouse in the port blew up, sending a mushroom cloud into the air and a supersonic blastwave tearing through the city.

From BBC