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.

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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

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nitrile Scientific  

/ nī′trəl /

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

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Etymology

Origin of nitrile

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

Example Sentences

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