nitrogen

[nahy-truh-juhn]

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, odorless, gaseous element that constitutes about four-fifths of the volume of the atmosphere and is present in combined form in animal and vegetable tissues, especially in proteins: used chiefly in the manufacture of ammonia, nitric acid, cyanide, explosives, fertilizer, dyes, as a cooling agent, etc. N; 14.0067; 7; density: 1.2506 grams/liter at 0°C and 760 millimeters pressure.

nitrogen

/ ˈnaɪtrədʒən /

noun

1. 1. a colourless odourless relatively unreactive gaseous element that forms 78 per cent (by volume) of the air, occurs in many compounds, and is an essential constituent of proteins and nucleic acids: used in the manufacture of ammonia and other chemicals and as a refrigerant. Symbol: N; atomic no: 7; atomic wt: 14.00674; valency: 3 or 5; density: 1/ 2506 kg/m³; melting pt: –210.00°C; boiling pt: –195.8°C

   2. ( as modifier )

      nitrogen cycle

nitrogen

1. A nonmetallic element that makes up about 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume, occurring as a colorless, odorless gas. It is a component of all proteins, making it essential for life, and it is also found in various minerals. Nitrogen is used to make ammonia, nitric acid, TNT, and fertilizers. Atomic number 7; atomic weight 14.0067; melting point −209.86°C; boiling point −195.8°C; valence 3, 5.

2. See Periodic Table See Note at oxygen

nitrogen

1. A chemical element that makes up about four-fifths of the atmosphere of the Earth. Its symbol is N.

Like carbon, nitrogen is a necessary element in the tissues of living things.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nitrogen¹

First recorded in 1785–95; from French nitrogène; nitro-, -gen

Example Sentences

When wheat roots release this extra compound into the surrounding soil, it assists specific bacteria that can convert nitrogen from the air into a form that nearby plants can absorb.

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Today, most ammonia is produced through the Haber-Bosch process, which combines nitrogen and hydrogen under extremely high temperatures and pressures.

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Cyanobacteria commonly colonize Sargassum, forming a partnership that provides the algae with an extra nitrogen source.

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Cryonics is where the whole body is cooled down to sub-zero temperatures, infused with cryoprotectants - which is similar to antifreeze - to prevent ice crystal formation, then preserved in liquid nitrogen.

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The tower is bristling with high-tech instruments - sensors that track almost everything happening between the forest and the atmosphere: water vapor, carbon dioxide, sunlight, and essential nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus.

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