nitrogen fixation

Save This Word!

noun

any process of combining atmospheric nitrogen with other elements, either by chemical means or by bacterial action: used chiefly in the preparation of fertilizers, industrial products, etc.

this process as performed by certain bacteria found in the nodules of leguminous plants, which make the resulting nitrogenous compounds available to their host plants.

QUIZ

TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS

Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”

Question 1 of 7

What does "dignity" mean?

showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of nitrogen fixation

First recorded in 1890–95

Words nearby nitrogen fixation

nitrogen base, nitrogen cycle, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen distribution, nitrogen equivalent, nitrogen fixation, nitrogen fixer, nitrogen-fixing, nitrogenize, nitrogen lag, nitrogen monoxide

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use nitrogen fixation in a sentence

That said, TV shows provide food for the imagination and that entices your fixation to the screen.
What Porn Stars Find Sexy on TV: From ‘Game of Thrones’ to ‘Deadliest Catch’|Aurora Snow|September 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But blaming contemporary politics for the deep roots of inequality in Scotland is a misdirected, short-term fixation.
Scotland’s ‘Yes’ Campaign and the Myth of Scottish Equality|Noah Caldwell|September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There is also more nitrogen in his varieties, and this contributes to a quick restart of fermentation after each filtration.
Wine, Watch Out! These Ciders Are Just as Good|Jordan Salcito|July 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Serdykuov was quietly “amnestied” last week, amidst the global fixation on events in Ukraine.
Moscow’s Long, Corrupt Money Trail|Michael Weiss|March 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Grosvenor Place, which runs alongside the palace, has almost four times the maximum permissible amount of nitrogen dioxide.
Pollution At The Palace|Tom Sykes|February 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Those stains which are dissolved in methyl-alcohol combine fixation with the staining process.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen, but it cannot be formed by the direct union of these gases.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson
The form in which nitrogen may be absorbed has given rise to much difference of opinion.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson
Pigeons' dung, according to Boussingault, contains 8·3 per cent of nitrogen, equivalent to 10·0 of ammonia.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson
Refuse horse hair generally contains 11 or 12 per cent of nitrogen.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson

British Dictionary definitions for nitrogen fixation

nitrogen fixation

noun

the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into nitrogen compounds by certain bacteria, such as Rhizobium in the root nodules of legumes

a process, such as the Haber process, in which atmospheric nitrogen is converted into a nitrogen compound, used esp for the manufacture of fertilizer

Derived forms of nitrogen fixation

nitrogen-fixing, adjective

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

Scientific definitions for nitrogen fixation

nitrogen fixation

The process by which free nitrogen from the air is combined with other elements to form inorganic compounds, such as ammonium ions, which can then be converted by nitrification into nutrients that can be readily absorbed by plants and other organisms for incorporation into more complex organic compounds. During lighting strikes, the atmosphere's free nitrogen molecules (N2) are broken apart and combine with oxygen to form nitrogen oxides that dissolve in rain to form nitric acid; atmospheric nitrogen is also fixed industrially under high pressure and heat to form ammonia, as in the production of fertilizers. Many species of cyanobacteria and certain other forms of bacteria, especially those that live in the roots of legumes, conduct nitrogen fixation as part of their metabolism, using the enzyme nitrogenase to combine nitrogen with hydrogen as ammonia. All living organisms are dependent on nitrogen fixation and would ultimately die without it. See more at nitrogen cycle.