ammonia
nounUK /əˈməʊ.nɪ.ə/ · US /əˈmoʊn.jə/
Etymology From Latin sal ammoniacus (“salt of Amun, ammonium chloride”), named so because it was found near the temple of (Jupiter) Ammon in Egypt. Ammon derives from Ancient Greek Ἄμμων (Ámmōn), from Egyptian jmn (i-mn:n-A4).
1
Chemistry, Inorganic chemistry, Natural sciences, Physical sciences A gaseous, toxic compound of hydrogen and nitrogen, NH₃, with a pungent smell and taste.
2
A solution of this compound in water used domestically as a cleaning fluid.
- Never use ammonia to clean metal writing pens.
- Slowly we rode down to the camp - a very sorrowful party. We took "Nep" straight to the surgery, where the doctor instantly applied injections of ammonia, then the new remedy for snake bite.1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 95:
1 more example
- When the woman pressed charges against the man who beat her up and threatened her, the man's girlfriend approached her after work and threw a bottle of ammonia at her.1985 December 14, Kim Westheimer, “Rape-Surviving Lesbian Faces Repeated Attacks”, in Gay Community News, volume 13, number 22, page 1:
- Synonyms
- spirits of hartshorn, volatile alkali
- Derived terms
33 terms
880 ammonia, amatol, ammonaemia, ammonemia, ammonia borane, ammoniac, ammonia caramel, ammonialike, ammonian, ammoniaphone, ammonia process, ammonia-soda process, ammoniate, ammoniation, ammonia water, ammonic, ammonical, ammonification, ammonify, ammonium, ammonuria, ammoxidation, aqua ammonia, baker's ammonia, blue ammonia, brown ammonia, caustic ammonia, gray ammonia, green ammonia, grey ammonia, liquid ammonia, oxammite, oxyammonia