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definitions

nitrogen-fixing

[ nahy-truh-juh n-fik-sing ]
/ ˈnaɪ trə dʒənˌfɪk sɪŋ /

adjective

involved in or aiding the process of nitrogen fixation.

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Nearby words

  1. nitrogen mustard,
  2. nitrogen narcosis,
  3. nitrogen partition,
  4. nitrogen peroxide,
  5. nitrogen tetroxide,
  6. nitrogenase,
  7. nitrogenize,
  8. nitrogenous,
  9. nitrogenous wastes,
  10. nitroglycerin

Origin of nitrogen-fixing

First recorded in 1895–1900
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Culture definitions for nitrogen fixing

nitrogen fixing

The conversion of atmospheric nitrogen (which plants cannot absorb) into forms of nitrogen that plants can absorb. Bacteria in the topsoil carry out the conversion.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.