cellulose nitrate

[ sel-yuh-lohs nahy-treyt, ‐trit ]

noun

1. nitrocellulose.

cellulose nitrate

noun

1. See guncotton
   a compound made by treating cellulose with nitric and sulphuric acids, used in plastics, lacquers, and explosives: a nitrogen-containing ester of cellulose Also called (not in chemical usage)nitrocellulose See also guncotton

Word History and Origins

Origin of cellulose nitrate¹

First recorded in 1890–95