ammonium nitrate

American

noun

Chemistry.

a white, crystalline, water-soluble powder, NH 4 NO 3 , usually produced by reacting nitric acid with vaporous ammonia: used chiefly in explosives, fertilizers, freezing mixtures, and in the manufacture of nitrous oxide.

ammonium nitrate British

noun

a colourless highly soluble crystalline solid used mainly as a fertilizer and in explosives and pyrotechnics. Formula: NH 4 NO 3

"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

ammonium nitrate Scientific

A colorless crystalline salt used in fertilizers, explosives, and solid rocket propellants. Chemical formula: NH ₄ NO ₃ .

Etymology

Origin of ammonium nitrate

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

ammonium nitrate

To preserve its own supplies, Russia has suspended exports of ammonium nitrate, another nitrogen source for fertilizer.

From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2026

That list includes ammonium nitrate, commonly available as a popular fertilizer at farm and garden stores.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2025

The MV Ruby's cargo of 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate will be moved to another vessel at Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2024

Takata used the volatile chemical ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to quickly fill the air bags in a crash.

From Seattle Times ● May 29, 2024

After World War II, the government found itself with a tremendous surplus of ammonium nitrate.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023