nitrate
noun /ˈnaɪtreɪt/
/ˈnaɪtreɪt/
[uncountable, countable] (chemistry)- a compound containing nitrogen and oxygen. There are several different nitrates and they are used especially to make soil better for growing crops.
- We need to cut nitrate levels in water.
Word Originlate 18th cent.: from French (from nitre, from Latin nitrum, from Greek nitron + -ate).