Definitions for nitre
ˈnaɪ tərni·tre

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. potassium nitrate, saltpeter, saltpetre, niter, nitrenoun

   (KNO3) used especially as a fertilizer and explosive

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. NITREnoun

   The salt which we know at this time, under the name of nitre or salt-petre, is a crystalline pellucid, but somewhat whitish substance, of an acrid and bitterish taste, impressing a peculiar sense of coldness upon the tongue. This salt, though it affords, by means of fire, an acid spirit capable of dissolving almost every thing, yet manifests no sign of its containing any acid at all in its crude state. Nitre is of the number of those salts which are naturally blended in imperceptible particles in earths, stones, and other fossile substances, as the particles of metals are in their ores: it is sometimes however found pure, in form of an efflorescence, either on its ores or on the surface of old walls; these efflorescences dissolved in proper water, shooting into regular and proper crystals of nitre. That this salt should be found on the surface of walls is not wonderful, since it is found only on or near the surface of the earth where it is produced. The earth from which nitre is made, both in Persia and the East-Indies, is a kind of yellowish marl found in the bare cliffs of the sides of hills exposed to the northern and eastern winds, and never in any other situation. From this marl the salt is separated by water; but the crystals into which it shoots, as we receive them from the East-Indies, are small, imperfect, and impure. Earths of whatever kind, moistened by the dung and excrement of animals, frequently afford nitre in large quantities. The earths at the bottom of pigeon-houses, and those of stables and cow-houses, all afford nitre, on being thrown into water and boiled. In France, where very little nitre is imported, they make it from the rubbish of old mortar and plaister of buildings; and the mortar of old walls with us, if moistened with urine and exposed to the air in a proper situation that is open to the north east, and covered over to defend it from wet, never fails to afford nitre in a few weeks, and that in proportion of one tenth of the weight of the ingredients. There is no question but a manufactory of nitre might be established in England to as much advantage as that of France. The place where the materials are exposed, is to be carefully examined. It must be moderate as to the great points of moisture and dryness; if there be too much moisture the nitre which is already formed will be washed away, and without some moisture the salts will hardly be ever formed. Heat and coldness, unless excessive, can be of no consequence. It is on account of the requisiteness of so certain a degree of moisture to the materials from which nitre is obtained, that the north east winds are of so much use in the production of it. In spring and autumn, which are the seasons when this salt is principally made, these two winds are neither too moist nor too dry, especially in the night; the south and west winds are destructive, because they bring storms and showers. In medicine, nitre is cooling and diuretick, and good in burning fevers. The natrum or nitre of the ancients, is a genuine, native, and pure salt, extremely different from our nitre, and from all other native salts; being a fixed alkali plainly of the nature of those made by fire from vegetables, yet being capable of a regular crystallization, which those salts are not. It is found on or very near the surface of the earth, in thin flat cakes, spungy, light, and friable; and when pure, of a pale brownish white colour. It is of an acrid taste, like pot-ashes. About Smyrna and Ephesus, and through a great part of Asia Minor, this salt is extremely frequent on the surface of the earth, and also in Sindy, a province of the inner Asia, where they sweep it up and call it soap-earth, using a solution or lye of it in washing. The natrum or nitre of the ancients, has been by some supposed to be a lost substance, and by others to be the same with our nitre or salt-petre; but both these opinions are erroneous, this salt being the true natrum of the ancients, answering perfectly to its description, and having all its uses and virtues. In scripture we find that the salt called nitre would ferment with vinegar, and had an abstersive quality, properties which perfectly agree with this salt but not with salt-petre, as do many different qualities ascribed to it by the ancients. John Hill on Foss.

   Etymology: nitre, Fr. nitrum, Latin.

   Some tumultuous cloud,
   Instinct with fire and nitre, hurried him. John Milton.

   Some steep their seed, and some in cauldrons boil,
   With vigorous nitre and with lees of oil. Dryden.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. nitre

   Nitre, also known as saltpeter or potassium nitrate, is a chemical compound consisting of potassium, nitrogen, and oxygen. It appears as crystalline solid or powder, usually colorless or white, and is used in various applications including fertilizers, food preservation, and the production of fireworks and gunpowder.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Nitrenoun

   a white crystalline semitransparent salt; potassium nitrate; saltpeter. See Saltpeter

2. Nitrenoun

   native sodium carbonate; natron

3. Nitrenoun

   see Niter

4. Etymology: [F. nitre, L. nitrum native soda, natron, Gr. ; cf. Ar. nitn, natrn natron. Cf. Natron.]

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Nitre

   nī′tėr, n. the nitrate of potash—also called Saltpetre.—n. Nī′trāte, a salt of nitric acid.—adjs. Nī′trāted, combined with nitric acid; Nī′tric, pertaining to, formed from, or containing or resembling nitre.—n. Nī′tric ac′id, an acid got by distilling a mixture of sulphuric acid and nitrate of sodium—it acts powerfully on metals, and is known by the name of Aqua-fortis.—adj. Nitrif′erous, nitre-bearing.—n. Nitrificā′tion.—v.t. Nī′trify, to convert into nitre.—v.i. to become nitre:—pr.p. nī′trifying; pa.t. and pa.p. nī′trified.—ns. Nī′trite, a salt of nitrous acid; Nī′tro-ben′zol, a yellow oily fluid, obtained by treating benzol with warm fuming nitric acid—used in perfumery and known as Essence of mirbane; Nī′tro-glyc′erine, a powerfully explosive compound produced by the action of nitric and sulphuric acids on glycerine—sometimes used in minute doses as a medicine.—adjs. Nitrose′, Nī′trous, resembling, or containing, nitre.—n. Nī′trous ox′ide, a combination of oxygen and nitrogen, called also Laughing gas, which causes, when breathed, insensibility to pain.—adj. Nī′try, of or producing nitre.—Cubic nitre, nitrate of soda, so called because it crystallises in cubes. [Fr.,—L. nitrum—Gr. nitron, natron, potash, soda—Ar. nitrún, natrún.]

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. nitre

   Potassæ nitras, a salt formed by the union of nitric acid with potash; the main agent in gunpowder.

Military Dictionary and GazetteerRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. nitre

   Potassium nitrate or saltpetre, the most important ingredient of gunpowder. It is obtained principally from the East Indies. It has been the policy of the American government to keep large quantities in store. See Saltpetre.

Anagrams for nitre »

1. trine

2. inert

3. inter

4. niter

5. Terni

How to pronounce nitre?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say nitre in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of nitre in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of nitre in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=nitre
2. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=nitre
3. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
4. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nitre
5. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=nitre
6. ^ Dictionary of Nautical Terms
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26000/pg26000-images.html#:~:text=nitre
7. ^ Military Dictionary and Gazetteer
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/59563/pg59563-images.html