nitrogen mustard

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. any of the class of poisonous, blistering compounds, as C 5 H 1 1 Cl 2 N, analogous in composition to mustard gas but containing nitrogen instead of sulfur: used in the treatment of cancer and similar diseases; mechlorethamine.

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nitrogen mustard British  

noun

1. any of a class of organic compounds resembling mustard gas in their molecular structure. General formula: RN(CH 2 CH 2 Cl) 2 , where R is an organic group: important in the treatment of cancer

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Etymology

Origin of nitrogen mustard

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

The first infusions of nitrogen mustard derivatives in the 1940s produced partial remissions in lymphoma patients.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

In his earlier experiments, Alexander noted that nitrogen mustard exposure spurred a dramatic collapse of white blood cells in laboratory mice.

From New York Times • Aug. 28, 2020

Over British protestations, in his official report he makes clear that nitrogen mustard is responsible for the injuries and deaths he is seeing, and that it came from an American ship.

From New York Times • Aug. 28, 2020

Clarkson answered that he and his colleagues had decided to swap the nitrogen mustard in DeVita’s formula for a drug called thiotepa.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 14, 2015

In studying defenses against the new product, they noticed that nitrogen mustard had a special affinity for cells that grow rapidly.

From Time Magazine Archive