nitroglycerin

Noun
US[nahy-troh-glis-er-uhn]/ˌnaɪtroʊˈɡlɪsɚən/5 syllablesalso [nahy-truh-glis-er-uhn] /ˌnaɪtrəˈɡlɪsɚən/, [nahych-ruh-glis-er-uhn] /ˌnaɪtʃrəˈɡlɪsɚən/
Synonyms: nitroglycerinetrinitroglyceringlyceryl trinitrateNitrospanNitrostat

Open English WordNet

Noun (1)

  1. a heavy yellow poisonous oily explosive liquid obtained by nitrating glycerol; used in making explosives and medically as a vasodilator (trade names Nitrospan and Nitrostat)Synonyms: nitroglycerinetrinitroglyceringlyceryl trinitrateNitrospanNitrostatType of nitrate, vasodilatorSubstance of blasting gelatin, cordite, dynamite, Nitrospan
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Ni′tro·glyc′er·in, Ni′tro·glyc′er·ine (nī′trō-glĭs′ẽr-ĭn), noun

Origin: Nitro- + glycerin.

Chemistry A liquid appearing like a heavy oil, colorless or yellowish, and consisting of a mixture of several glycerin salts of nitric acid, and hence more properly called glycerin nitrate; also called trinitroglycerin and glyceryl trinitrate. It is made by the action of nitric acid on glycerin in the presence of sulphuric acid. It is extremely unstable and terribly explosive. A very dilute solution is used in medicine as a neurotic under the name of glonion. [Written also nitroglycerine.]

☞ A great number of explosive compounds have been produced by mixing nitroglycerin with different substances; as, dynamite, or giant powder, nitroglycerin mixed with siliceous earth; lithofracteur, nitroglycerin with gunpowder, or with sawdust and nitrate of sodium or barium; Colonia powder, gunpowder with nitroglycerin; dualin, nitroglycerin with sawdust, or with sawdust and nitrate of potassium and some other substances; lignose, wood fiber and nitroglycerin.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54

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