nitrite

noun

ni·​trite ˈnī-ˌtrīt How to pronounce nitrite (audio)
: a salt or ester of nitrous acid

Examples of nitrite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This isn’t the first time researchers have considered the link between nitrites/nitrates and migraine. Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 4 Mar. 2024 Lunch meat, Velazquez said, is a good example of this—it’s often processed with nitrites, which have been associated with colorectal cancer. Julia Landwehr, Health, 10 Feb. 2024 Uncured Ham Uncured ham is, confusingly, also cured, just without the addition of synthetic nitrites and nitrates. Patricia S York, Southern Living, 27 Jan. 2024 Correction: July 17, 2023 An earlier version of this article incorrectly described nitrites as containing three oxygen atoms rather than two. Saugat Bolakhe, Quanta Magazine, 17 July 2023 The wells will turn pink if there’s any nitrite, so the pinker the scan, the more nitrite there is. Melina Walling, The Arizona Republic, 3 Oct. 2022 After the initial nitrite stops working, the nitrate molecules (NO3) give up oxygen atoms and turn into additional nitrite to finish the job. Cameron Johnson, Popular Mechanics, 12 May 2021 What is more, says Domínguez, studies suggest that the benefits of dietary nitrate are larger when they’re ingested in beets and other vegetables, and not as salts — mainly due to the vegetables’ vitamin C and polyphenols, which help reduce the nitrite to nitric oxide in the stomach. Rodrigo Pérez Ortega, Discover Magazine, 26 Mar. 2019 Camryn Swift, 14, dipped a test tube into the fish tank and squeezed a few chemical drops into the tube to test for ammonia, nitrates and nitrites, and pH levels. Karina Elwood, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nitrite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nitrite was in 1788

Dictionary Entries Near nitrite

Cite this Entry

“Nitrite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nitrite. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nitrite

noun
ni·​trite ˈnī-ˌtrīt How to pronounce nitrite (audio)
: a salt of a certain unstable nitrogen-containing acid that is known only in solution or in the form of its salts

Medical Definition

nitrite

noun
ni·​trite ˈnī-ˌtrīt How to pronounce nitrite (audio)
: a salt or ester of nitrous acid

More from Merriam-Webster on nitrite

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