nitrous oxide
noun
: a colorless gas N2O that when inhaled produces loss of sensibility to pain preceded by exhilaration and sometimes laughter, that is used especially as an anesthetic in dentistry and as a fuel, and that is an atmospheric pollutant and greenhouse gas produced by combustion
called also laughing gas
compare nitric oxideExamples of nitrous oxide in a Sentence
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While nitrous oxide has legitimate medical uses, recreational use carries significant risks:
Oxygen deprivation: Inhaling nitrous oxide displaces oxygen in the lungs, leading to hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation.
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Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 25 Sep. 2024
The long history of nitrous oxide as a recreational drug
Recreational use of nitrous oxide dates back more than two centuries.
—Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025
Months later, Bryar’s autopsy raised a possible contributing factor in his death — three canisters of nitrous oxide found next to his corpse, with tubing for inhalation still attached.
—August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2025
Specifically, the agency in 2009 found that six greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere — carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride — posed a health risk to current and future generations.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2025
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Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 25 Sep. 2024
The long history of nitrous oxide as a recreational drug
Recreational use of nitrous oxide dates back more than two centuries.
—Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025
Months later, Bryar’s autopsy raised a possible contributing factor in his death — three canisters of nitrous oxide found next to his corpse, with tubing for inhalation still attached.
—August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2025
Specifically, the agency in 2009 found that six greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere — carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride — posed a health risk to current and future generations.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nitrous oxide
Cite this Entry
“Nitrous oxide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nitrous%20oxide. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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