nitrogen

Definition

The chemical element with an atomic number of 7 and atomic weight of 14.0067. It is a colorless and odorless gas.

Etymology

Borrowed from French nitrogène (coined by French chemist and physician Jean-Antoine Chaptal in 1790). By surface analysis, nitro- + -gen. See also niter.

Example Sentences

• "Holonyms: dinitrogen, N₂, nitrogen (loose sense)"
• "By molar fraction, nitric oxide contains equal parts nitrogen and oxygen."
• "All life depends on nitrogen; it is the building block from which nature assembles amino acids, proteins, and nucleic acids; the genetic information that orders and perpetuates life is written in nitrogen ink."

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