nitrate
Americannoun
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Chemistry. a salt or ester of nitric acid, or any compound containing the univalent group –ONO 2 or NO 3 .
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fertilizer consisting of potassium nitrate or sodium nitrate.
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Informal. nitrate film.
verb (used with object)
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to treat with nitric acid or a nitrate.
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to convert into a nitrate.
noun
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any salt or ester of nitric acid, such as sodium nitrate, NaNO 3
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a fertilizer consisting of or containing nitrate salts
verb
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(tr) to treat with nitric acid or a nitrate
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to convert or be converted into a nitrate
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to undergo or cause to undergo the chemical process in which a nitro group is introduced into a molecule
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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.
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Compare nitrite
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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nitratesimple
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nitratessimple
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have nitratedperfect
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has nitratedperfect
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am nitratingprogressive
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are nitratingprogressive
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is nitratingprogressive
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have been nitratingperfect progressive
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has been nitratingperfect progressive
Past
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nitratedsimple
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had nitratedperfect
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was nitratingprogressive
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were nitratingprogressive
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had been nitratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of nitrate
Vocabulary lists containing nitrate
South America - Middle School
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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.
See Examples For:
The research team now plans to conduct a larger study involving athletes to further examine how sugary chewing gum affects nitrate metabolism, blood pressure, and exercise performance.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 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
The festival is dedicated to screening prints on nitrate film, which was standard in Hollywood through the 1940s but is rarely shown today.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
Tests revealed the water is contaminated with nitrate, which can come from fertilizer, animal manure or human sewage, and 1,2,3-trichloropropane, a hazardous chemical that was widely used in pesticides years ago.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Whatever she saw, it clearly shook her, even worse than trying to pull out the reel of silver nitrate film.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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
During the internship, he was a lead author on a research paper with Barge, Khodayari and others on how nitrates react with iron compounds in aqueous environments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2024
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 corn, oats, or sorghum containing large amounts of nitrates are ensiled they release poisonous nitrogen oxide gases, creating a deadly hazard to anyone entering the silo.
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
This statement appears to be correct for all kinds of nitrated cellulose powders, whether mixed with nitroglycerin or other substances.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 1 "Evangelical Church Conference" to "Fairbairn, Sir William" by Various
Now, however, vertical iron cylinders, made of cast-iron, are used for the nitrating operation.
From Nitro-Explosives: A Practical Treatise by Sanford, P. Gerald (Percy Gerald)
The top of the tank is closed in with a dome of lead, in which is a small glass window, through which the progress of the nitrating operation can be watched.
From Nitro-Explosives: A Practical Treatise by Sanford, P. Gerald (Percy Gerald)
In operating with this apparatus the nitrating acid is introduced into the nitrating vessel by opening the cock of the pipe e.
From Nitro-Explosives: A Practical Treatise by Sanford, P. Gerald (Percy Gerald)
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 Sanford, P. Gerald (Percy Gerald)
A mere trace of aniline is present in the tar ready formed; from the time this base was wanted in large quantities it had to be made by nitrating benzene, and then reducing the nitrobenzene.
From Coal and What We Get from It by Meldola, Raphael
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
