ammonia

noun

am·mo·nia | \ə-ˈmō-nyə

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

Examples of ammonia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Anhydrous ammonia was the specific chemical that leaked Tuesday. — Cameron Knight, Cincinnati.com, "Winton Hills, St. Bernard were put under shelter-in-place order after ammonia leak Tuesday," 12 June 2018 Anhydrous ammonia is a pungent gas with suffocating fumes. — Maxine Bernstein, OregonLive.com, "Manufacturing plant near St. Helens that emitted tons of hazardous ammonia to pay $250,000 fine," 4 June 2018 Macomb Police Chief Curt Barker said Tuesday that police received a complaint on Saturday about Macomb Pet Land, where officers faced an overwhelming smell of dead animals and ammonia. — Fox News, "Police say 41 animals found dead in Illinois pet store," 29 May 2018 According to a police warrant, the suspects beat the mother possum with a baseball bat and poured a mixture of bleach and ammonia on the four babies inside an orange box. — Ben Brasch, ajc, "Cops: Cobb teens Snapchat their killing of mother possum and 4 babies," 14 May 2018 The vapor accompanying these particles was mostly water but contained trace amounts of simple organic compounds, as well as carbon dioxide and ammonia—all ingredients important for the sustenance and even origin of life. — Carolyn Porco, Scientific American, "Cassini at Saturn: A Retrospective," 1 Oct. 2017 Just avoid household cleaners with harsh chemicals like ammonia or alkaline on the screen. — Whitson Gordon, New York Times, "How to Clean Your Filthy, Disgusting Laptop," 26 June 2018 And high prices for the natural gas from which ammonia is made have squeezed margins. — The Economist, "Shortages of carbon dioxide in Europe may get worse," 5 July 2018 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

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.

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Last Updated

18 Oct 2018

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Time Traveler for ammonia

The first known use of ammonia was in 1788

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More Definitions for ammonia

ammonia

noun

English Language Learners Definition of ammonia

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

See the full definition for ammonia in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ammonia

noun

am·mo·nia | \ə-ˈmō-nyə

Kids Definition of ammonia

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

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