nitrocellulose

noun

ni·​tro·​cel·​lu·​lose ˌnī-trō-ˈsel-yə-ˌlōs How to pronounce nitrocellulose (audio)
-ˌlōz
: any of several nitric-acid esters of cellulose used especially for making explosives, plastics, and varnishes

Examples of nitrocellulose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In the Tianjin port, an initial explosion of nitrocellulose led to a much bigger detonation of eight hundred pounds of ammonium nitrate. Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024 The sheer fury of his playing over the years tore through the nitrocellulose lacquer on the guitar's body, scratching it down to bare, tortured wood. New Atlas, 10 July 2024 China is Russia’s top supplier of machine tools, microelectronics, and nitrocellulose – a highly flammable compound used to make munitions – and Mr. Blinken noted that the U.S. has already sanctioned more than 100 Chinese enterprises. Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Apr. 2024 The nitrocellulose — or nitrate — used at the time as a base for filmmaking was quick to decompose and highly flammable; fires were not uncommon. Dan Barry, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 But nitrocellulose was a no-go for a matcha-sipping makeup pro. Maura Lynch, Allure, 21 Sep. 2023 The roles of solvent and film former are usually played by alcohol and nitrocellulose, respectively. Maura Lynch, Allure, 21 Sep. 2023 Next, Hyatt experimented with nitrocellulose, a material made by combining cotton or wood pulp with a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids. Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023 Demand for high-quality nitrocellulose membrane, the off-white fabric that forms the actual lateral flow test strip, has skyrocketed during the pandemic for test kits and its use in other medical devices. NBC News, 20 Jan. 2022

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nitrocellulose was in 1868

Dictionary Entries Near nitrocellulose

Cite this Entry

“Nitrocellulose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nitrocellulose. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

nitrocellulose

noun
ni·​tro·​cel·​lu·​lose -ˈsel-yə-ˌlōs, -ˌlōz How to pronounce nitrocellulose (audio)

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