ammonium nitrate

noun Chemistry.

a white, crystalline, water-soluble powder, NH4NO3, usually produced by reacting nitric acid with vaporous ammonia: used chiefly in explosives, fertilizers, freezing mixtures, and in the manufacture of nitrous oxide.

Origin of ammonium nitrate

First recorded in 1880–85

Words nearby ammonium nitrate

ammonium chromic sulfate, ammonium cyanate, ammonium hydroxide, ammonium ion, ammonium lactate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium purpurate, ammonium salt, ammonium selenate, ammonium stearate

British Dictionary definitions for ammonium nitrate

ammonium nitrate

noun

a colourless highly soluble crystalline solid used mainly as a fertilizer and in explosives and pyrotechnics. Formula: NH 4 NO 3

Scientific definitions for ammonium nitrate

ammonium nitrate

A colorless crystalline salt used in fertilizers, explosives, and solid rocket propellants. Chemical formula: NH4NO3.