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

Sustainability initiatives With the ship redo, Windstar added more energy efficient engines that reduce emissions of nitrous and sulfur oxides Advanced wastewater treatment systems were also installed. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026

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

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