nitrite
Americannoun
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A salt or ester of nitrous acid, containing the group NO 2. Nitrites are an important component of the nitrogen cycle and are used as food preservatives.
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Compare nitrate
Etymology
Origin of nitrite
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.
Amyl nitrites emerged in the 19th century as an early treatment for chest pain and asthma attacks.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2025
And in animal studies, high levels of sodium and chemical preservatives like nitrates and nitrites, found in cured meats, have been shown to increase inflammation and damage cells in the pancreas, which makes insulin.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 22, 2023
Instead, it indicates whether the meat contains synthetic sodium nitrite or nitrites derived from “natural” ingredients.
From Washington Post • Mar. 14, 2022
The nitrites are much more stable than the acid, but nitrites, like nitrates, can explode.
From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019
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
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.
