ammonium nitrate

noun

: a colorless crystalline salt NH4NO3 used in explosives and fertilizers and in veterinary medicine

Examples of ammonium nitrate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Rights groups and local media revealed that most state officials knew of the presence of hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive material used in fertilizers that had been improperly stored there for years, in the port. Fox News, 16 Jan. 2024 German media showed images of authorities retrieving ice packs from a Berlin apartment, which contained ammonium nitrate. Sophie Tanno, CNN, 28 Jan. 2024 Northbound and southbound lanes of Interstate 81 in Hagerstown, Md., were reopening after a tanker truck carrying ammonium nitrate overturned. Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, 26 June 2023 The company used ammonium nitrate to inflate the air bags in a crash. CBS News, 5 May 2023 Inside, flames and burning embers were heating up piles of ammonium nitrate. USA Today, 10 Apr. 2023 Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. Tom Krisher, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2023 On August 4th, 2020, 218 were killed and 7,000 injured in an ammonium nitrate explosion at the Port of Beirut. Longreads, 11 Aug. 2023 That accidental ignition of a stockpile of ammonium nitrate – the second-largest nonnuclear explosion ever recorded – left more than 200 people dead and 300,000 homeless, and did $15 billion worth of damage. Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ammonium nitrate.' 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

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ammonium nitrate was in 1866

Dictionary Entries Near ammonium nitrate

Cite this Entry

“Ammonium nitrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ammonium%20nitrate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ammonium nitrate

noun
: a colorless crystalline salt used in explosives and fertilizers

Medical Definition

ammonium nitrate

noun
: a colorless crystalline salt NH4NO3 used in explosives and fertilizers and in veterinary medicine as an expectorant and urinary acidifier

More from Merriam-Webster on ammonium nitrate

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