nitrogen

ni-tro-gen · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A chemical element (symbol N, atomic number 7) that is a colorless, odorless gas constituting about 78% of Earth's atmosphere.

  2. 2.

    Nitrogen in its liquid form, used as a coolant and in various industrial and scientific applications.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    nitrogen cycle — The circulation of nitrogen in various forms through nature.
  • •
    nitrogen fixation — The process by which atmospheric nitrogen is converted into usable compounds.
  • •
    liquid nitrogen — Nitrogen cooled to extremely low temperatures, used as a cryogenic coolant.

Related words

See also: atmosphere, chemistry, element, oxygen

Etymology

From French nitrogene, coined in 1790 by Jean-Antoine Chaptal from Greek nitron ("niter, native soda") + French -gene ("producing"). Named because it is a constituent of niter (potassium nitrate).