nitrogen

[ nahy-truh-juhn ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a colorless, odorless, gaseous element that constitutes about four-fifths of the volume of the atmosphere and is present in combined form in animal and vegetable tissues, especially in proteins: used chiefly in the manufacture of ammonia, nitric acid, cyanide, explosives, fertilizer, dyes, as a cooling agent, etc. : N; : 14.0067; : 7; density: 1.2506 grams/liter at 0°C and 760 millimeters pressure.

nitrogen

/ ˈnaɪtrədʒən /

noun

1. 1. a colourless odourless relatively unreactive gaseous element that forms 78 per cent (by volume) of the air, occurs in many compounds, and is an essential constituent of proteins and nucleic acids: used in the manufacture of ammonia and other chemicals and as a refrigerant. Symbol: N; atomic no: 7; atomic wt: 14.00674; valency: 3 or 5; density: 1 2506 kg/m³; melting pt: –210.00°C; boiling pt: –195.8°C
   2. ( as modifier )

      nitrogen cycle

nitrogen

/ nī′trə-jən /

1. A nonmetallic element that makes up about 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume, occurring as a colorless, odorless gas. It is a component of all proteins, making it essential for life, and it is also found in various minerals. Nitrogen is used to make ammonia, nitric acid, TNT, and fertilizers. Atomic number 7; atomic weight 14.0067; melting point −209.86°C; boiling point −195.8°C; valence 3, 5.
2. See Periodic Table See Note at oxygen

nitrogen

1. A chemical element that makes up about four-fifths of the atmosphere of the Earth . Its symbol is N.

Notes

Like carbon , nitrogen is a necessary element in the tissues of living things.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nitrogen¹

First recorded in 1785–95; from French nitrogène; nitro-, -gen

Example Sentences

Landry has also made it legal to use nitrogen as a form of capital punishment, added medication to induce abortion on the state’s list of controlled dangerous substances and made it so judges can order surgical castration for child sex offenders.

From Salon

Although the port has drastically slashed diesel exhaust and nitrogen oxides through cleaner fuels and engines in the past two decades, it is now faced with its stiffest challenge to date: adopting zero-emission technology.

From Los Angeles Times

Items that should be taken to recycling centres and disposed of safely include vapes, which contain lithium-ion batteries that can ignite when crushed, electrical items with batteries or plugs that can explode or catch fire, and nitrogen oxide canisters and other gas bottles, even when empty, can cause explosions.

From BBC

In the nine years since the spill, the damaged pipeline was “evacuated, cleaned and preserved with inert nitrogen to maintain a corrosion-free state,” according to Steve Rusch, Sable’s vice president of environmental and regulatory affairs.

From Los Angeles Times

Scientists found that the women who were exposed to higher levels of nitrogen dioxide and inhalable particulate pollution — two prevalent forms of air pollution — during their second trimester were nearly four times as likely to experience depression up to 3 years after their pregnancy.

From Los Angeles Times