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nitroglycerin

American  
[nahy-truh-glis-er-in] / ˌnaɪ trəˈglɪs ər ɪn /
Also nitroglycerine

noun

Chemistry, Pharmacology.
  1. a colorless, thick, oily, flammable, highly explosive, slightly water-soluble liquid, C 3 H 5 N 3 O 9 , prepared from glycerol with nitric and sulfuric acids: used chiefly as a constituent of dynamite and other explosives, in rocket propellants, and in medicine as a vasodilator in the treatment of angina pectoris.


nitroglycerin Scientific  
/ nī′trō-glĭsər-ĭn /
  1. A thick, pale-yellow, explosive liquid formed by treating glycerin with nitric and sulfuric acids. It is used to make dynamite and in medicine to dilate blood vessels. Chemical formula: C 3 H 5 N 3 O 9 .


Etymology

Origin of nitroglycerin

First recorded in 1855–60; nitro- + glycerin

Vocabulary lists containing nitroglycerin

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.

See Examples For:

As if those choices were comparably distasteful when, in fact, one is vanilla and the other is nitroglycerin.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 9, 2023

"I thought you were reaching for your emergency nitroglycerin pill," she jokes with a "ha ha old man" lightness.

From Salon Dec. 15, 2021

According to Hayes, doctors said he was smart to have not taken his nitroglycerin pills because they could have put him in more danger.

From Washington Post Nov. 20, 2020

The explosion of nitroglycerin is a chemical change because the gases produced are very different kinds of matter from the original substance.

From Textbooks Feb. 14, 2019

Before his examination, Haupt went outside and swallowed three nitroglycerin pills to make his heart beat rapidly.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

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