nitrate

CEFRC1

/ˈnaɪˌtɹeɪt/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A chemical compound containing nitrogen and oxygen.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    To treat, or react, with nitric acid or a nitrate

Examples

  • Natural mineral water contains calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium as well as nitrate.

  • The stain on the lab coat is due to silver nitrate.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
3
Parts of speech
1
Citations
3

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meaning
  1. Any salt or ester of nitric acid.

More examples

In context
  • Nitrates are most commonly used in fertilizers, especially sodium and potassium nitrates. Numerous water wells have had to be abandoned because of the lack of a way to deal with the problem.

  • The underground water which feeds Britain's springs and rivers and provides a third of its drinking water is becoming seriously polluted with nitrates, causing a threat to wildlife and landing consumers with a big purification bill.

  • The pinkness of bacon – or cooked ham, or salami – is a sign that it has been treated with chemicals, more specifically with nitrates and nitrites.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The soil lacked enough blank, so the farmer added a nitrogen-rich fertilizer.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

Borrowed from French nitrate.