nitrogen dioxide

noun

|Updated on: 7 Jun 2018

Definition of nitrogen dioxide

: a toxic reddish brown gas NO₂ that is a strong oxidizing agent, is produced by combustion (as of fossil fuels), and is an atmospheric pollutant (as in smog)

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Recent Examples of nitrogen dioxide from the Web

Pollution from nitrogen dioxide — the lung-irritating gas that diesel vehicles emit in abundance — is above the European Union’s legal levels in about 70 German cities and towns.

— Washington Post, "German court opens the way for bans of diesel vehicles, roiling a nation of car obsessives," 27 Feb. 2018
Diesel engines are the main emitters of nitrogen dioxide, which causes respiratory problems and has been linked to premature deaths.

— karin matussek, Bloomberg.com, "German Court Puts Millions of Diesel Cars at Risk of Bans," 27 Feb. 2018
Diesel engines are the main emitters of nitrogen dioxide, which causes respiratory problems and has been linked to premature deaths.

— karin matussek, Bloomberg.com, "German Court Puts Millions of Diesel Cars at Risk of Bans," 27 Feb. 2018
Diesel engines are the main emitters of nitrogen dioxide, which causes respiratory problems and has been linked to premature deaths.

— karin matussek, Bloomberg.com, "German Court Puts Millions of Diesel Cars at Risk of Bans," 27 Feb. 2018
Diesel engines emit small particles and nitrogen dioxide that have been linked to cancer and more than 12,000 of premature deaths in Germany, experts say.

— katrin bennhold, New York Times, "In Germany’s Car Capital, the Unthinkable: The Right to Ban Cars," 27 Feb. 2018
Butler said that because diesel vehicles are the leading contributor to nitrogen dioxide emissions, banning them in heavily polluted areas makes sense.

— Washington Post, "German court opens the way for bans of diesel vehicles, roiling a nation of car obsessives," 27 Feb. 2018
The German government proposed the free public transportation scheme to encourage people to leave their cars at home, thereby reducing nitrogen dioxide emissions and particulate matter.

— deutsche welle, USA TODAY, "Germany considers free public transportation in most polluted cities," 14 Feb. 2018
Three German car makers appear to have commissioned or supported a study in 2014 which exposed monkeys and humans to exhaust fumes and nitrogen dioxide, according to German media reports on Monday (Jan. 29).

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "3 German automakers backed study that exposed monkeys and humans to toxic exhaust fumes," 29 Jan. 2018

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