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nitrile

American

[nahy-tril, -treel, -trahyl] / ˈnaɪ trɪl, -tril, -traɪl /

noun

Chemistry.

any of a class of organic compounds with the general formula RC≡N.

nitrile British

/ ˈnaɪtrɪl, -traɪl /

noun

Also called (not in technical usage): cyanide. any one of a class of organic compounds containing the monovalent group -CN

"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

nitrile Scientific

/ nī′trəl /

An organic compound, such as acrylonitrile, containing the cyanide group CN. Nitriles are typically colorless solids or liquids and have a distinctive smell.

Etymology

Origin of nitrile

1840–50; nitr- + -ile, perhaps variant of -yl

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Higher nitrile butadiene rubber prices following the Middle East conflict have raised input costs, but NBR supply remains stable due to Hartalega’s diversified supplier base, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Costs have been affected "across the board", including the price of condom material nitrile latex and natural rubber.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

While preparing the sampling surfaces, Clough followed standard practice and wore nitrile gloves.

From Science Daily • Mar. 29, 2026

A musician called Safana Bakleh gave her group of volunteers face masks and blue nitrile gloves along with instructions about photographing and collecting documents.

From BBC • Dec. 16, 2024

This process is the exact reverse of the nitrile synthesis, described above.

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Thatcher, Roscoe Wilfred

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