Adjacent Words

nitroglycerin definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a heavy yellow poisonous oily explosive liquid obtained by nitrating glycerol; used in making explosives and medically as a vasodilator (trade names Nitrospan and Nitrostat) [syn: nitroglycerin, nitroglycerine, trinitroglycerin, glyceryl trinitrate, Nitrospan, Nitrostat]

Merriam Webster's

or nitroglycerine noun Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary Date: 1857 an oily explosive poisonous liquid C₃H₅N₃O₉ used chiefly in making dynamite and in medicine as a vasodilator

Britannica Concise

Organic compound, powerful explosive and ingredient of most forms of dynamite. It is a colorless, oily, somewhat toxic liquid with a sweet, burning taste. Its safe use as a blasting explosive became possible after A. Nobel developed dynamite in the 1860s with an inert porous material (moderator) such as charcoal or diatomaceous earth. Nitroglycerin is also used in a mixture in rocket propellants. In medicine, it is used to dilate blood vessels, especially to ease angina pectoris.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Nitroglycerin Ni`tro*glyc"er*in, n. [Nitro- + glycerinn.] (Chem.) A liquid appearing like a heavy oil, colorless or yellowish, and consisting of a mixture of several glycerin salts of nitric acid, and hence more properly called glycerin nitrate. It is made by the action of nitric acid on glycerin in the presence of sulphuric acid. It is extremely unstable and terribly explosive. A very dilute solution is used in medicine as a neurotic under the name of glonion. [Written also nitroglycerine.] Note: A great number of explosive compounds have been produced by mixing nitroglycerin with different substances; as, dynamite, or giant powder, nitroglycerin mixed with siliceous earth; lithofracteur, nitroglycerin with gunpowder, or with sawdust and nitrate of sodium or barium; Colonia powder, gunpowder with nitroglycerin; dualin, nitroglycerin with sawdust, or with sawdust and nitrate of potassium and some other substances; lignose, wood fiber and nitroglycerin.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

also nitroglycerine Nitroglycerin is a liquid that is used to make explosives and also in some medicines.