nitrocellulose

[ nahy-truh-sel-yuh-lohs ]

/ ˌnaɪ trəˈsɛl yəˌloʊs /

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noun Chemistry.

any of a group of nitric esters of cellulose, used in the manufacture of lacquers and explosives: used as a film base in the early days of filmmaking, nitrocellulose is now a common component of multilayered film structures, especially cellophane.

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Also called cellulose nitrate, nitrate, nitrocotton .

Origin of nitrocellulose

First recorded in 1880–85; nitro- + cellulose

OTHER WORDS FROM nitrocellulose

ni·tro·cel·lu·lo·sic, ni·tro·cel·lu·lous, adjective

Words nearby nitrocellulose

nitrile rubber, nitrite, nitro, nitrobacteria, nitrobenzene, nitrocellulose, Nitro-chalk, nitrochloroform, nitro compound, nitrocotton, nitrofuran

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use nitrocellulose in a sentence

Contains nitrocellulose insoluble and soluble, metallic nitrates, and vaseline.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various
Noddite: a strip sporting-rifle powder containing nitroglycerine, nitrocellulose, mineral jelly.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various
These nitrates are variously known as nitrocellulose, pyroxylin, and gun cotton.
An Elementary Study of Chemistry|William McPherson
One of these dopes was nitrate in character and was made from nitrocellulose and certain wood-chemical solvents including alcohol.
America's Munitions 1917-1918|Benedict Crowell

In fact, it would be impossible to use a smokeless powder made of pure nitrocellulose in big guns without the multi-perforations.
Dynamite Stories|Hudson Maxim

British Dictionary definitions for nitrocellulose

nitrocellulose

/ (ˌnaɪtrəʊˈsɛljʊˌləʊs) /

noun

another name (not in chemical usage) for cellulose nitrate

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

Scientific definitions for nitrocellulose

nitrocellulose

[ nī′trō-sĕl′yə-lōs′ ]

A pulpy or cottonlike polymer derived from cellulose treated with sulfuric and nitric acids. It is used in the manufacture of explosives, plastics, and solid propellants.