nitrous

1 of 2

noun

ni·​trous ˈnī-trəs How to pronounce nitrous (audio)
informal
: nitrous oxide
He began huffing nitrous by the case, causing vivid hallucinations.David Peisner

nitrous

2 of 2

adjective

archaic
: of, relating to, or containing niter

Examples of nitrous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Instead, nitrous became something else: entertainment. Oshan Jarow, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018 Caffeine is a stimulant that essentially revs up your nervous system like adding nitrous to a car, which is decidedly not good if your mind is already hyperactive with worry, according to a paper published in NCBI in 2015. Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 27 May 2024 How effective nitrous is for alleviating pain is highly variable. Alice Callahan, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2020 The modifications include an engine that makes 570 rear-wheel horsepower, before nitrous, and which has a custom nitrous kit from Induction Solutions. Sebastian Blanco, Car and Driver, 21 Mar. 2020 Actually, nitrous is making a comeback in U.S. maternity circles. Marie McCullough, Philly.com, 16 May 2018 The Birth Center in Bryn Mawr charges patients $25 to try nitrous, and $250 to use it at will during labor. Marie McCullough, Philly.com, 16 May 2018
Adjective
The nitrous scene takes place in a room with dollar-bill wallpaper. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2024 Public nitrous shows began taking place as early as an 1814 lecture series in Philadelphia. Oshan Jarow, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018 For example, the inspiration from gaming can be seen in the nitrous button and air vents, while motocross sport is referenced in the Renthal handlebar, front fork design, and our signature front headlight. William Roberson, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024 Novela’s mixes them in large batches in the basement each morning, pressurizes them with nitrous gas, then shoots them upstairs to be poured from a tap into dainty glass chalices, served cold on a golden platter. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 18 July 2024 Of those, 21 proposed to do nothing to limit their nitrogen (not nitrous) oxide emissions. The Editors, Scientific American, 10 July 2024 Goo brands a nitrous product called Power Hitter, according to the Select Distributors website. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2024 On Thursday, Alabama is scheduled to execute Kenneth Eugene Smith with nitrous gas, a novel form of execution that has only been used on animals before now. Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Jan. 2024 In the cloakroom, a white-coated dentist operated two blue nitrous tanks, handing out balloons emblazoned with the High Times logo. Sean Howe, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

New Latin nitrosus, from Latin, full of natron, from nitrum natron — more at niter

First Known Use

Noun

1977, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1583, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nitrous was in 1583

Dictionary Entries Near nitrous

Cite this Entry

“Nitrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nitrous. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

nitrous

adjective
ni·​trous ˈnī-trəs How to pronounce nitrous (audio)
: of, relating to, or containing nitrogen especially with a lower valence than in corresponding nitric compounds
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