nitrate

noun

ni·​trate ˈnī-ˌtrāt 

-trət

plural nitrates

1

: a salt or ester of nitric acid

2

: sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate used as a fertilizer

3

: any of several nitric-acid esters of cellulose : nitrocellulose

especially : a product (such as celluloid film) made from cellulose nitrate

In the case of the Clark Gable Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), the nitrate original was destroyed before anyone noticed the transferred soundtrack was out of sync.

—Roy Hemming

Examples of nitrate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Winona County adopted its animal cap ordinance in 1998 to balance the interests of farmers with the risks industrial agricultural practices pose to groundwater, specifically nitrate contamination, in the region’s porous karst geology. —John Molseed, Twin Cities, 10 Dec. 2024

Men with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease often take nitrates. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024

Baker says nitrates may also be causing the pink hue. —Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2024

Others let go were several senior archive curators, library staffers, the nitrate vault manager, and the head of cataloging. —Brian Welk, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, from nitrique

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing nitrate

• ammonium nitrate
• amyl nitrate
• cellulose nitrate
• nitrate of soda
• peroxyacetyl nitrate
• potassium nitrate
• silver nitrate
• sodium nitrate

Kids Definition

nitrate

noun

ni·​trate ˈnī-ˌtrāt 

-trət

1

: a chemical compound formed by the reaction of nitric acid with another substance

2

: nitrate of sodium or potassium used as a fertilizer

Medical Definition

nitrate

noun

ni·​trate ˈnī-ˌtrāt, -trət 

: a salt or ester of nitric acid