nitric acid
noun
ni·tric acid
| \ ˈnī-trik-
\
\
Definition of nitric acid
: a corrosive liquid inorganic acid HNO3 used especially as an oxidizing agent, in nitrations, and in making organic compounds (such as fertilizers, explosives, and dyes)
Examples of nitric acid in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On Friday, police said, officers raided an industrial building and seized about 2 pounds of powerful explosives, 10 gasoline bombs and nitric acid, as well as bullets, slingshots, knives and metal rods. — Mike Ives, BostonGlobe.com, "Police fire tear gas and rubber bullets in Hong Kong as protesters target Chinese office," 21 July 2019 Inside the building, 75-gallon drums filled with nitric acid were burning, sending up thick, dark smoke, said Capt. Anthony Romero. — Hannah Fry, latimes.com, "Simi Valley chemical fire spews black smoke, forces evacuations and sheltering order," 25 June 2019 Those air pollutants react with water, oxygen, and other substances to form airborne sulfuric and nitric acid. — National Geographic, "Acid rain, explained," 12 June 2019 Loaded with water and potassium and low in sodium, cucumbers also inhibit the production of nitric acid production and inflammatory enzymes like cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2), which helps them reduce swelling. — Stephanie Feuer, Good Housekeeping, "9 Fruits And Vegetables That Are Natural Diuretics—No Pills Necessary," 5 Sep. 2017 The researchers can make the surface by treating standard steel with electricity while submerging it in a nitric acid solution. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Researchers Create Bacteria-Killing Steel Nanospikes," 19 Dec. 2017 A few days later, in another incident near a factory, villagers waded into a ditch coursing with nitric acid and rescued a dog that was trapped. — Jeffrey Gettleman, New York Times, "Stray Dogs Started Turning Blue. Then the Street Mobilized.," 27 Sep. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nitric acid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for nitric acid
nitric acid
noun
English Language Learners Definition of nitric acid
: a strong acid that contains nitrogen and that is used in making fertilizers, explosives, etc.
See the full definition for nitric acid in the English Language Learners Dictionary
nitric acid
noun
ni·tric acid
| \ ˈnī-trik-
\
\
Kids Definition of nitric acid
: a strong liquid acid that contains hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen and is used in making fertilizers, explosives, and dyes
nitric acid
nounMedical Definition of nitric acid
: a corrosive liquid inorganic acid HNO3 used especially as an oxidizing agent, in nitrations, and in making organic compounds
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