sodium nitrite

noun

1. Chemistry. a yellowish or white crystalline compound, NaNO 2 , soluble in water, slightly soluble in alcohol and ether: used in the manufacture of dyes and as a color fixative.
2. Nutrition. this compound added to food as a preservative and for flavor and color, especially in pork, fish, and beef products: implicated in the formation of suspected carcinogens.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sodium nitrite¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

She was prescribed a sodium bicarbonate infusion, but was instead given a sodium nitrite infusion.

From BBC

Scientists have also studied poisons such as sodium nitrite, but they risk harming other species.

From Seattle Times

He worked as a cook at a Toronto restaurant, and, somehow, he had access to sodium nitrite, commonly called toxic salt.

From New York Times

Canadian police say Law, from the Toronto area, used a series of websites to market and sell sodium nitrite, a substance commonly used to cure meats that can be deadly if ingested.

From Seattle Times

A U.S. judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Amazon.com Inc brought by the parents of two teenagers who committed suicide by consuming sodium nitrite they bought on the online retailer's platform.

From Reuters