ammonium chloride

American  

noun

Chemistry, Pharmacology.

1. a white, crystalline, water-soluble powder, NH 4 Cl, which produces a cooling sensation on the tongue, used chiefly in the manufacture of dry cells, in electroplating, and in medicine as an expectorant.

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ammonium chloride British  

noun

1. Also called: sal ammoniac.  a white soluble crystalline solid used chiefly as an electrolyte in dry batteries and as a mordant and soldering flux. Formula: NH 4 Cl

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ammonium chloride Scientific  

1. A white crystalline compound used in dry cells, as a soldering flux, and as an expectorant. Also called sal ammoniac. Chemical formula: NH ₄ Cl.

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Etymology

Origin of ammonium chloride

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ammonium chloride

Distillers threw rotten fruit and molasses waste in the gallon to brew with ammonium chloride to produce something called “snake juice,” which was collected by lepers and taken around the city.

From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2025

Linman and her team, which includes scientists from the University of Colorado Medical School, theorized that the same protein that detects sour tastes, OTOP1, might respond to ammonium chloride, too.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2023

As this finding would indicate, many animals, including humans, find the taste of ammonium chloride to be aversive — but as the popularity of salmiak would indicate, that’s not universally the case.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2023

Because ammonium chloride can affect the concentration of acid -- that is, hydrogen ions -- within a cell, the team wondered if it could somehow trigger OTOP1.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 5, 2023

Double decomposition occurs with the formation of ammonium chloride and sodium bicarbonate.

From Soap-Making Manual A Practical Handbook on the Raw Materials, Their Manipulation, Analysis and Control in the Modern Soap Plant. by Thomssen, E. G.