ammonia

noun am·mo·nia \ ə-ˈmō-nyə \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Definition of ammonia

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

See ammonia defined for English-language learners

See ammonia defined for kids

Recent Examples of ammonia from the Web

Window cleaner: Mix 2 cups rubbing alcohol, 1/2 cup ammonia, 1/2 teaspoon dish washing liquid in a spray bottle and top with distilled water.

— doreen christensen, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Dear Doreen's Deals: Locked-up carts at Aldi keep prices low; what's tax-free for back to school," 13 July 2018
Until 1909, nitrogen-fixing bacteria made most of the ammonia on the planet.

— robert f. service, Science | AAAS, "Ammonia—a renewable fuel made from sun, air, and water—could power the globe without carbon," 12 July 2018
The bill would require housing in which cows could easily stand up, turn around and lie down, with proper ventilation to reduce concentrations of ammonia and dust.

— david fleshler, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Brutal cow abuse videos result in reforms, possible legislation," 15 June 2018
Since the sixties, cigarette companies, starting with Philip Morris, have freebased nicotine using ammonia, which liberates the nicotine so that it can be speedily absorbed into the lungs and the brain.

— jia tolentino, The New Yorker, "The Promise of Vaping and the Rise of Juul," 7 May 2018
On Hadfield’s final expedition, the ISS sprang an ammonia leak.

— NBC News, "Why astronaut Chris Hadfield isn't afraid of death," 4 July 2018
Companies that sell the gas acquire it from ammonia plants before cleaning and purifying it.

— amie tsang, New York Times, "U.K. Fears for Its Beer and Crumpets. Blame a Carbon Dioxide Shortage.," 29 June 2018
An ammonia leak at Emery Oleo Chemicals prompted emergency officials to warn Winton Hills and St. Bernard residents to shelter in place Tuesday morning.

— cameron knight, Cincinnati.com, "Winton Hills, St. Bernard were put under shelter-in-place order after ammonia leak Tuesday," 12 June 2018
Popping out early, NASA astronauts Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold quickly swapped the positions of two spare ammonia pumps that are part of the space station’s critical cooling system.

— Washington Post, "Spacewalking astronauts perform pump swap at space station," 16 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ammonia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of ammonia

New Latin, from Latin sal ammoniacus sal ammoniac, literally, salt of Ammon, from Greek ammōniakos of Ammon, from Ammōn Ammon, Amun, an Egyptian god near whose temple at the Siwa oasis it was extracted

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1788

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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AMMONIA Defined for English Language Learners

ammonia

noun

Definition of ammonia for English Language Learners

: a colorless gas or liquid that has a strong smell and taste and that is used especially in cleaning products

AMMONIA Defined for Kids

ammonia

noun am·mo·nia \ ə-ˈmō-nyə \

Definition of ammonia for Students

1 : a colorless gas that is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen, has a sharp smell and taste, can be easily made liquid by cold and pressure, and is used in cleaning products and in making fertilizers and explosives

2 : a solution of ammonia and water

Medical Dictionary

ammonia

noun am·mo·nia \ ə-ˈmō-nyə \

medical Definition of ammonia

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