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nitrogen dioxide

noun Chemistry.

a reddish-brown, highly poisonous gas, NO2, used as an intermediate in the manufacture of nitric and sulfuric acids, and as a nitrating and oxidizing agent; a major air pollutant from the exhaust of internal combustion engines that are not fitted with pollution control devices.

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Nearby words

nitrogelatin, nitrogen, nitrogen balance, nitrogen base, nitrogen cycle, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen distribution, nitrogen equivalent, nitrogen fixation, nitrogen fixer, nitrogen fixing
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for nitrogen dioxide

nitrogen dioxide

noun

a red-brown poisonous irritating gas that, at ordinary temperatures, exists in equilibrium with dinitrogen tetroxide. It is an intermediate in the manufacture of nitric acid, a nitrating agent, and also an oxidizer for rocket fuels. Formula: NO 2
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