Main Entry:

ni·tro·gen

Pronunciation:

\ˈnī-trə-jən\

Function:

noun

Usage:

often attributive

Etymology:

French nitrogène, from nitre niter + -gène -gen

Date:

1794

: a colorless tasteless odorless element that as a diatomic gas is relatively inert and constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere and that is a constituent of organic compounds found in all living tissues — see element table

— ni·trog·e·nous \nī-ˈträ-jə-nəs\ adjective