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ammoniac

[ uh-moh-nee-ak ]
/ əˈmoʊ niˌæk /
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noun
Also am·mo·ni·a·cum [am-uh-nahy-uh-kuhm]. /ˌæm əˈnaɪ ə kəm/. gum ammoniac.
adjective
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Origin of ammoniac

1375–1425; late Middle English armoniac, ammoniak<Latin ammōniacum<Greek ammōniakón (neuter of ammōniakós of Ammon; see -i-, -ac), applied to a salt and a gum resin prepared near the Shrine of Ammon in Libya
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ammoniac in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ammoniac (1 of 2)

ammoniac1
/ (əˈməʊnɪˌæk) /

adjective
a variant of ammoniacal

British Dictionary definitions for ammoniac (2 of 2)

ammoniac2
/ (əˈməʊnɪˌæk) /

noun
a strong-smelling gum resin obtained from the stems of the N Asian umbelliferous plant Dorema ammoniacum and formerly used as an expectorant, stimulant, perfume, and in porcelain cementAlso called: gum ammoniac

Word Origin for ammoniac

C14: from Latin ammōniacum, from Greek ammōniakos belonging to Ammon (apparently the gum resin was extracted from plants found in Libya near the temple of Ammon)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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