nitrogen
Americannoun
noun
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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.
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See Periodic Table See Note at oxygen
Discover More
Like carbon, nitrogen is a necessary element in the tissues of living things.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of nitrogen
First recorded in 1785–95; from French nitrogène; see origin at nitro-, -gen
Vocabulary lists containing nitrogen
Earth and the Solar System - Middle School
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Space Science (Astronomy) - Middle School
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Unit 1, Week 1
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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.
Algae need nitrogen and phosphorus to grow, and the Reflecting Pool is primarily fed by the Potomac River, which gets heavy doses of those nutrients from nearby urban and agricultural lands.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2026
While a reopening of Hormuz could pressure nitrogen prices, it would also improve supply availability and help Nutrien’s retail business by lowering procurement costs.
From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026
Two lower courts had earlier blocked the use of nitrogen gas in executions, finding the method likely violates the US Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
The French industrial-gases company signed a long-term contract with SK Hynix and will operate a nitrogen unit by late 2027.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
The resulting effect was striking: a bright streak ten inches long, glowing lavender from its interaction with nitrogen ions in the atmosphere.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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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.