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nitro

1 American  
[nahy-troh] / ˈnaɪ troʊ /

adjective

  1. Chemistry. containing the nitro group.

noun

  1. nitroglycerin.

nitro- 2 American  

  1. a combining form used in the names of chemical compounds in which the nitro group is present.

    nitroglycerin.
nitro- 1 British  

combining form

  1. indicating that a chemical compound contains a nitro group, -NO 2

    nitrobenzene

  2. indicating that a chemical compound is a nitrate ester

    nitrocellulose
"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
nitro 2 British  
/ ˈnaɪtrəʊ /

noun

  1. slang short for nitroglycerine

"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

Etymology

Origin of nitro1

First recorded in 1855–60; nitro-

Origin of nitro-2

Combining form of Greek nítron. See niter

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.

“This is pure geopolitical nitro, leaving bulls high-fiving over the chokepoint drama,” he noted.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026

Instead, the nitro boost they needed came from those already on the pitch - and some Kiwi indiscipline.

From BBC • Nov. 15, 2025

Taco is asking for money like an NPR host during a fund drive pounding nitro cold brew.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2024

The Nitro Bar started out as a little cart that served nitro cold brew coffee around Providence.

From Salon • Aug. 23, 2021

They had transmuted carbon into radioactive nitro gen.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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.