: a colorless crystalline salt NH4NO3 used in explosives and fertilizers and in veterinary medicine
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebBoth blasts involved massive stockpiles of ammonium nitrate, a common but highly explosive chemical, and swift allegations that negligence and weak government oversight were to blame. Paul J. Weber And Ellen Knickmeyer, Star Tribune, 5 Aug. 2020 On August 4, 2020, hundreds of metric tons of ammonium nitrate ignited, sparking a massive blast in the Lebanese capital’s port, killing more than 215 people and injuring thousands. Abbas Al Lawati, CNN, 24 Aug. 2022 Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash.CBS News, 22 Apr. 2021 Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to fill air bags in a crash. Tom Krisher, Detroit Free Press, 23 Nov. 2020 Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to fill air bags in a crash. Tom Krisher, Anchorage Daily News, 23 Nov. 2020 Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to fill air bags in a crash. Tom Krisher, chicagotribune.com, 23 Nov. 2020 Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to fill air bags in a crash.NBC News, 23 Nov. 2020 Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to fill air bags in a crash.Arkansas Online, 23 Nov. 2020 See More
Word History
First Known Use
1866, in the meaning defined above
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