plural nitrates
1
: a salt or ester of nitric acid
2
: sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate used as a fertilizer
3
: any of several nitric-acid esters of cellulose : nitrocellulose
especially
: a product (such as celluloid film) made from cellulose nitrate
In the case of the Clark Gable Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), the nitrate original was destroyed before anyone noticed the transferred soundtrack was out of sync. —
Roy Hemming
Roy Hemming Examples of nitrate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At the Missouri Botanical Garden, ecologist Matthew Albrecht has found that seeds respond variably to different combinations of light, temperature and increased levels of nitrates around them—signaling that vegetation around the seed has decayed, providing nutrients and space for young seedlings.
—Katarina Zimmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2025
Communities near factory farms have also reported animal waste polluting their waterways with nitrates.
—Sam Delgado, Vox, 17 Mar. 2025
There are other unanswered questions, like whether beet juice is better than consuming nitrate straight.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 19 Apr. 2025
Other National Archive films that will screen at TCM include a 1945 nitrate release print of Michael Curtiz’s Mildred Pierce.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nitrate
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Katarina Zimmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2025
Communities near factory farms have also reported animal waste polluting their waterways with nitrates.
—Sam Delgado, Vox, 17 Mar. 2025
There are other unanswered questions, like whether beet juice is better than consuming nitrate straight.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 19 Apr. 2025
Other National Archive films that will screen at TCM include a 1945 nitrate release print of Michael Curtiz’s Mildred Pierce.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nitrate
Cite this Entry
“Nitrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nitrate. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nitrate
noun
ni·trate
ˈnī-ˌtrāt 
-trət
1
: a chemical compound formed by the reaction of nitric acid with another substance
2
: nitrate of sodium or potassium used as a fertilizer
Medical Definition
nitrate
noun
ni·trate
ˈnī-ˌtrāt, -trət
: a salt or ester of nitric acid
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