ammonia

noun

am·​mo·​nia ə-ˈmō-nyə 

1

: a pungent colorless gaseous alkaline compound of nitrogen and hydrogen NH₃ that is very soluble in water and can easily be condensed to a liquid by cold and pressure

2

: ammonia water

Examples of ammonia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Petrochemicals are used in products around us: plastic packaging is used for food, ammonia is used in fertilizers, synthetic rubber is used for tires, and many laundry detergents are used. —Simi Thambi​, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025

The ammonia may also cause streaking or damage your cooktop over time. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2025

Meanwhile, her colleague holds a wet test strip in the air to measure the habitat’s ammonia level, and another researcher checks GPS readings and records the location on a map of Denmark. —Paulina Rowińska, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2025

Industry experts attribute the delay to the complex infrastructure required to handle ammonia safely. —IEEE Spectrum, 10 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, derivative based on Latin sal ammōniacus "rock salt," literally, "salt of Ammon," from ammōniacus "of Ammon," borrowed from Greek ammōniakós, derivative of Ámmōn, an Egyptian deity identified by the Greeks with Zeus, borrowed from Egyptian ỉmn; from its having been extracted near an oracle of Ammon near the Siwa oasis in Egypt

Note: The identification of sal ammoniac, not well described by ancient authors, as ammonium chloride was apparently part of medieval alchemical tradition.

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ammonia

• ammonia water

Rhymes for ammonia

• begonia
• pneumonia
• bronchopneumonia
• pleuropneumonia

Kids Definition

ammonia

noun

am·​mo·​nia ə-ˈmō-nyə 

1

: a colorless gas that is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen, has a sharp smell and taste, is easily dissolved in water, can easily be made a liquid by cold and pressure, is used to make ice, fertilizers, and explosives, and is the chief nitrogen-containing waste product of many organisms that live in water

2

: a solution of ammonia in water

ammoniacal

ˌam-ə-ˈnī-ə-kəl

adjective

Etymology

from Latin sal ammoniacus "ammonium chloride," literally "salt of Ammon," named for the Egyptian god Ammon near whose temple the salt was extracted

Medical Definition

ammonia

noun

am·​mo·​nia ə-ˈmō-nyə 

1

: a pungent colorless gaseous alkaline compound of nitrogen and hydrogen NH₃ that is very soluble in water and can easily be condensed to a liquid by cold and pressure

2

: ammonia water