denitrify

American  

[dee-nahy-truh-fahy] / diˈnaɪ trəˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

denitrified, denitrifying

1. Chemistry, Biology. to reduce (nitrates) to nitrites, ammonia, ammonium compounds, and free atmospheric nitrogen, as in soil by bacteria or other microbes.

2. Chemistry. to remove nitrogen or nitrogen compounds from.

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denitrify British  

/ diːˈnaɪtrɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to undergo or cause to undergo loss or removal of nitrogen compounds or nitrogen

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Other Word Forms

• denitrification noun
• denitrificator noun
• denitrifier noun

Etymology

Origin of denitrify

First recorded in 1890–95; de- + nitrify