denitrify

American  

[dee-nahy-truh-fahy] / diˈnaɪ trəˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

denitrified, denitrifying

1. Chemistry, Biology. to reduce (nitrates) to nitrites, ammonia, ammonium compounds, and free atmospheric nitrogen, as in soil by bacteria or other microbes.

2. Chemistry. to remove nitrogen or nitrogen compounds from.

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denitrify British  

/ diːˈnaɪtrɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to undergo or cause to undergo loss or removal of nitrogen compounds or nitrogen

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Other Word Forms

• denitrification
  noun
• denitrificator
  noun
• denitrifier
  noun

Etymology

Origin of denitrify

First recorded in 1890–95; de- + nitrify

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

denitrified denitrifying

My experience is that denitrified glass is also more likely to crack in the flame than good new glass, though the difference in this respect is not very strongly marked with narrow tubes.

From On Laboratory Arts by Threlfall, Richard

The nitrogen suboxide released when the nitrogen fixed in chemical nitrogen fertilizers is denitrified will, it is estimated, cause a future 3.5 percent reduction of ozone.

From Down with the Cities by Nakashima, Tadashi

There is no reason, however, to suppose that this is so, and several of the denitrifying organisms have been identified.

From Manures and the principles of manuring by Aikman, Charles Morton