nitroglycerin

[ nahy-truh-glis-er-in ]
See synonyms for nitroglycerin on Thesaurus.com
nounChemistry, Pharmacology.
  1. a colorless, thick, oily, flammable, highly explosive, slightly water-soluble liquid, C3H5N3O9, prepared from glycerol with nitric and sulfuric acids: used chiefly as a constituent of dynamite and other explosives, in rocket propellants, and in medicine as a vasodilator in the treatment of angina pectoris.

Origin of nitroglycerin

1
First recorded in 1855–60; nitro- + glycerin
  • Also ni·tro·glyc·er·ine [nahy-truh-glis-er-in, -uh-reen]. /ˌnaɪ trəˈglɪs ər ɪn, -əˌrin/.

Words Nearby nitroglycerin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use nitroglycerin in a sentence

  • It is used in medicine and in the manufacture of the explosives nitroglycerin and dynamite.

  • A hot-water bag was placed with the nitroglycerin and all was wrapped in a heavy blanket to protect it from Jack Frost.

    Dynamite Stories | Hudson Maxim
  • Nobel, however, had discovered that when nitroglycerin was absorbed in infusorial earth, it was rendered much less sensitive.

    Dynamite Stories | Hudson Maxim

Scientific definitions for nitroglycerin

nitroglycerin

[ nī′trō-glĭsər-ĭn ]


  1. A thick, pale-yellow, explosive liquid formed by treating glycerin with nitric and sulfuric acids. It is used to make dynamite and in medicine to dilate blood vessels. Chemical formula: C3H5N3O9.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.