ammonia

American  

[uh-mohn-yuh, uh-moh-nee-uh] / əˈmoʊn jə, əˈmoʊ ni ə /

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 ammonia water, aqueous ammonia, ammonia solution. this gas dissolved in water; ammonium hydroxide.

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ammonia British  

/ 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

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ammonia Scientific  

/ 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 .

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Etymology

Origin of ammonia

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

Compare meaning

How does ammonia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• ammonia vs. ammonium
• ammonia vs. pneumonia

Explanation

If you've ever used household cleaning products to tidy up your kitchen or bathroom, you've probably encountered ammonia — a pungent gas made of nitrogen and hydrogen (NH₃), known for its strong smell and, when mixed with water, its powerful cleaning abilities. Ammonia is a colorless gas with a sharp, intense odor, widely used in both household and industrial settings. Beyond its role in cleaning products, where it’s prized for cutting through tough grime, ammonia is also a key ingredient in fertilizers, helping plants grow strong and healthy. Despite its benefits, exposure to ammonia can be irritating to the eyes and the respiratory system, so it’s important to handle it with care.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ammonia

In the future, researchers could potentially explore these organisms as biological systems for converting gases into useful products, including methane and ammonia, with green hydrogen serving as an energy source.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

Chemicals such as isobutane, pentane and ammonia can also be found in commercial-type fridges, Dr Santillo added.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

"It is not active at room temperature. Rather, we show that it only produces ammonia at high temperatures. Its extreme stability allowed us to study states of the nitrogenase that are usually difficult to capture."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

The public also received conflicting information and messaging on whether ammonia, a toxic chemical, was present in the smoke.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

“Yes, a dream,” and then sleep overcame her again and she fell back and began to snore, but the shock of the ammonia had lifted her up nearer consciousness and she was more restless.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck