nitrogen

American  

[nahy-truh-juhn] / ˈnaɪ trə dʒən /

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.

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nitrogen British  

/ 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

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nitrogen Scientific  

/ nī′trə-jən /

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

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nitrogen Cultural  

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

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Discover More

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

Etymology

Origin of nitrogen

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

Example Sentences

Then there’s the impact of higher energy and nitrogen pricing, seen affecting Orica and Dyno Nobel, UBS says.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

The stock has been largely flat since tensions escalated as some investors worry that higher nitrogen costs could crowd out spending on other inputs.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

The Iran war has disrupted the global fertilizer market, choking off the Strait of Hormuz and raising nitrogen prices 30% to 50%.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

"We're up to half a million tons of nitrogen fertiliser not being produced in the world right now because of the situation we are in," Holsether said.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

The nitrogen for the fields would no longer be made with the sun’s energy but with fossil fuels.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan