ammonia

[ uh-mohn-yuh, uh-moh-nee-uh ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a colorless, pungent, suffocating, highly water-soluble, gaseous compound, NH 3 , usually produced by the direct combination of nitrogen and hydrogen gases: used chiefly for refrigeration and in the manufacture of commercial chemicals and laboratory reagents.
2. Also called aqueous ammonia,. this gas dissolved in water; ammonium hydroxide.

ammonia

/ əˈməʊnɪə; -njə /

noun

1. a colourless pungent highly soluble gas mainly used in the manufacture of fertilizers, nitric acid, and other nitrogenous compounds, and as a refrigerant and solvent. Formula: NH 3
2. a solution of ammonia in water, containing the compound ammonium hydroxide

ammonia

/ ə-mōn′yə /

1. A colorless alkaline gas that is lighter than air and has a strongly pungent odor. It is used as a fertilizer and refrigerant, in medicine, and in making dyes, textiles, plastics, and explosives. Chemical formula: NH 3 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of ammonia¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; from New Latin, so called as being obtained from sal ammoniac ( def ); ammoniac

Word History and Origins

Origin of ammonia¹

C18: from New Latin, from Latin ( sal ) ammōniacus (sal) ammoniac ¹

Example Sentences

Is she back in the orphanage where it smells like ammonia and cooked cabbage?

From The Daily Beast

The plant was checked out only when the state agency received a complaint about a strong ammonia smell.

From The Daily Beast

He instinctively knew it was coming from the 50-year-old fertilizer plant and ammonia storage facility a few blocks away.

From The Daily Beast

It runs on combustible poison—ammonia and pressurized hydrogen.

From The Daily Beast

But the ammonia leak in November, and now the radiation leak and deteriorating tubes, might lead some to conclude otherwise.

From The Daily Beast

They are dissolved by strong hydrochloric acid, and recrystallize as octahedra upon addition of ammonia.

From Project Gutenberg

On the other side the ammonia brought out a picture of the Victory, with the head of a roaring lion below it.

From Project Gutenberg

His results for ammonia, as well as nitric acid, are given in the subjoined table.

From Project Gutenberg

Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen, but it cannot be formed by the direct union of these gases.

From Project Gutenberg

It appears also, as far as absorption goes, to be immaterial whether the ammonia is free or combined.

From Project Gutenberg