nitrous oxide

noun

Chemistry, Pharmacology.

1. a colorless, sweet-smelling, sweet-tasting, nonflammable, slightly water-soluble gas, N 2 O, that sometimes produces a feeling of exhilaration when inhaled: used chiefly as an anesthetic in dentistry and surgery, in the manufacture of chemicals, and as an aerosol.

nitrous oxide

noun

1. Systematic name: dinitrogen oxide. Also called: laughing gas. a colourless nonflammable slightly soluble gas with a sweet smell: used as an anaesthetic in dentistry and surgery. Formula: N 2 O

nitrous oxide

1. A colorless, sweet-smelling gas. It is used as a mild anesthetic, often called laughing gas. Nitrous oxide occurs naturally in the atmosphere and is a greenhouse gas. Chemical formula: N ₂ O.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nitrous oxide¹

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, fertiliser use emits nitrous oxide -- the third-most-potent greenhouse gas after methane and carbon dioxide.

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A mother says she feels "distraught" about young people illegally using nitrous oxide, after her daughter was killed by a speeding driver who had been inhaling the drug.

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In 2016 it was made illegal to supply or import nitrous oxide if it was likely to be consumed for its psychoactive effect, and in 2023 it was made a class C drug.

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A court case against England goalkeeper Khiara Keating has been dropped nearly a year after she pleaded not guilty to possessing canisters of nitrous oxide.

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In a worst-case scenario, inhalation of nitrous oxide can lead to hypoxia, where the brain does not get enough oxygen.

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