nitrate

American  

[nahy-treyt, -trit, nahy-treyt] / ˈnaɪ treɪt, -trɪt, ˈnaɪ treɪt /

noun

• nitrates
  plural

1. Chemistry. a salt or ester of nitric acid, or any compound containing the univalent group –ONO 2 or NO 3 .

2. fertilizer consisting of potassium nitrate or sodium nitrate.

3. nitrocellulose.

4. Informal. nitrate film.

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verb (used with object)

• nitrates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• nitrated,
  past participle,  past
• nitrating
  present participle

1. to treat with nitric acid or a nitrate.

2. to convert into a nitrate.

nitrate British  

/ ˈnaɪtreɪt /

noun

1. any salt or ester of nitric acid, such as sodium nitrate, NaNO 3

2. a fertilizer consisting of or containing nitrate salts

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verb

1. (tr) to treat with nitric acid or a nitrate

2. to convert or be converted into a nitrate

3. to undergo or cause to undergo the chemical process in which a nitro group is introduced into a molecule

nitrate Scientific  

/ nī′trāt′ /

1. A salt or ester of nitric acid, containing the group NO ₃. Nitrates dissolve extremely easily in water and are an important component of the nitrogen cycle.

2. Compare nitrite

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nitration
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• nitrates
  plural

Participles

• nitrating
  present
• nitrated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• nitrate
  simple
• nitrates
  simple
• have nitrated
  perfect
• has nitrated
  perfect
• am nitrating
  progressive
• are nitrating
  progressive
• is nitrating
  progressive
• have been nitrating
  perfect progressive
• has been nitrating
  perfect progressive

Past

• nitrated
  simple
• had nitrated
  perfect
• was nitrating
  progressive
• were nitrating
  progressive
• had been nitrating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will nitrate
  simple
• will have nitrated
  perfect
• will be nitrating
  progressive
• will have been nitrating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of nitrate

First recorded in 1785–95; nitr- + -ate ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nitrate nitrates nitrated nitrating

Alongside the hot weather, the government said "the efforts of the Action for Cleaner Water group and agriculture industry to reduce nitrate use on fields will support the reduction of build-up".

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

The findings suggest that, under specific conditions, sugary chewing gum can help the body make better use of dietary nitrate found in foods such as beetroot, spinach, and kale.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026

Because this process limits how much nitrate the body can use, researchers have been searching for ways to make the conversion more efficient.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026

But what had never before moved me was an actual reel of film—sitting, in this case, in the inspection room of the George Eastman Museum’s offsite nitrate vaults.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

Experiments carried out about a decade ago showed that after treatment with this chemical there is a sharp increase in the nitrate content of corn and of sugar beets.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

In 2019, both nitrates and phosphorus regulations were brought together under the Nutrients Action Plan.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

They contain nitrates, high levels of sodium and saturated fats, and aromatic hydrocarbons that increase the risk of cancer, hypertension, and heart disease.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 21, 2026

Men who use nitrates to treat cardiac conditions are most at risk when using the products, according to the announcement, which urged customers who purchased the products to stop using them immediately.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2026

These nitrates limit blood’s ability to carry oxygen, and can present a serious risk of cardiovascular issues for infants and other vulnerable people, as well as potentially increasing risk for some cancers.

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2024

When the animal feeds on vegetation containing an abnormally high level of nitrates, the microorganisms in the rumen act on the nitrates to change them into highly toxic nitrites.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

"This is a common modification we see in biology. However, we found that HGF loses its physiological activity when it becomes nitrated, and this phenomenon accumulates with age."

From Science Daily ● Nov. 19, 2024

One of the most effective ways of doing this is to develop antibodies that bind to the protein and block it from being nitrated in the first place.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 19, 2024

The widespread willingness to forgive pink, nitrated bacon for causing cancer illustrates how torn we feel when something beloved in our culture is proven to be detrimental to health.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 1, 2018

When PAHs from a flame mingle with nitrogen, say from a slab of meat, they can form nitrated PAHs, or NPAHs.

From Slate ● Jan. 23, 2014

Abel's Glyoxiline is only nitrated gun-cotton impregnated with nitro- glycerine.

From Nitro-Explosives: A Practical Treatise by P. Gerald (Percy Gerald) Sanford

The nitrating acids are supplied through the pipe m.

From Nitro-Explosives: A Practical Treatise by P. Gerald (Percy Gerald) Sanford

Another form of nitric acid plant, which promises to be of considerable service to the manufacturer of nitric acid for the purpose of nitrating, is the invention of the late Mr Manning Prentice, of Stowmarket.

From Nitro-Explosives: A Practical Treatise by P. Gerald (Percy Gerald) Sanford

By simply nitrating at a higher temperature than the cotton, the flax will yield a pyroxyline giving an equally fluid collodion.

From Nitro-Explosives: A Practical Treatise by P. Gerald (Percy Gerald) Sanford

In some cases the process is carried out in an ordinary nitrating centrifugal, using the latter to effect preliminary drying after acid extraction.

From Nitro-Explosives: A Practical Treatise by P. Gerald (Percy Gerald) Sanford

In the winter the room in which the nitrating is done must be kept at a temperature of about 70° F. in order to secure equality in the batches.

From Nitro-Explosives: A Practical Treatise by P. Gerald (Percy Gerald) Sanford