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nitrile

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

noun

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


nitrile British  
/ ˈnaɪtrɪl, -traɪl /

noun

  1. 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  
/ nītrəl /
  1. 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.

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

From Science Daily • Mar. 29, 2026

Tight nitrile butadiene rubber supply as well as rising nitrile and natural rubber prices may weigh on sales volumes, but flexible production could allow a shift toward natural rubber gloves.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 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

Hold it in your nondominant hand wearing a leather glove thick enough to withstand sharp teeth and another nitrile or latex glove over it.

From New York Times • Sep. 8, 2021

The enzyme maltase decomposes it into glucose and mandelic nitrile glucoside; the latter is broken down by emulsin into glucose, benzaldehyde and prussic acid.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 2 "Gloss" to "Gordon, Charles George" by Various