nitrous

1 of 2

noun

ni·​trous ˈnī-trəs 

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

Noun

That volume is what separates nitrous from the other inhalants. — Jesse M. Pines, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Would the scary girls with fairy wings still be hanging around a trust-fund junkie with a tank of nitrous? — Claire Howorth, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026

Adjective

Elsewhere in the parking lot, vendors — nitrous tanks poking out of their trunks — were selling balloons in different sizes, at $10 to $30 a pop. — John Wenzel, Denver Post, 6 Aug. 2025

The track finds Ye addressing his custody issues over his four children with ex-wife Kim Kardashian, while also claiming that banks are freezing his accounts and rapping about his nitrous use. — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 8 May 2025

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

Phrases Containing nitrous

• nitrous acid
• nitrous oxide

Rhymes for nitrous

• citrus

Medical Definition

nitrous

adjective

ni·​trous ˈnī-trəs 

: of, relating to, or containing nitrogen especially with a lower valence than in corresponding nitric compounds