Ammonia Definition & Meaning

American

British

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Synonyms ammonia American [uh-mohn-yuh, uh-moh-nee-uh] / əˈmoʊn yə, əˈmoʊ ni ə /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, pungent, suffocating, highly water-soluble, gaseous compound, NH 3 , usually produced by the direct combination of nitrogen and hydrogen gases: used chiefly for refrigeration and in the manufacture of commercial chemicals and laboratory reagents.

2. Also called ammonia water. Also called aqueous ammonia,. Also called ammonia solution,. this gas dissolved in water; ammonium hydroxide.

ammonia British / -njə, əˈməʊnɪə /

noun

1. a colourless pungent highly soluble gas mainly used in the manufacture of fertilizers, nitric acid, and other nitrogenous compounds, and as a refrigerant and solvent. Formula: NH 3

2. a solution of ammonia in water, containing the compound ammonium hydroxide

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 ammonia Scientific / ə-mōn′yə /

1. A colorless alkaline gas that is lighter than air and has a strongly pungent odor. It is used as a fertilizer and refrigerant, in medicine, and in making dyes, textiles, plastics, and explosives. Chemical formula: NH 3 .

Etymology

Origin of ammonia

First recorded in 1790–1800; from New Latin, so called as being obtained from sal ammoniac ( def. ); ammoniac

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How does ammonia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• ammonia vs. ammonium
• ammonia vs. pneumonia

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Without strategically prioritizing the delivery of critical farm inputs such as urea, ammonia, nitrogen, phosphate, and sulfur-based products, the US risks a shortfall in crops," American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall warned Monday.

From Barron's

Normally, the liver converts ammonia into a safer compound called urea, which is then removed from the body in urine.

From Science Daily

Laboratory research has demonstrated that these compounds can form when icy dust grains containing methanol or blends of carbon dioxide and ammonia are exposed to ultraviolet light or gentle heating.

From Science Daily

In this reaction, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, and aldehydes or ketones combine in liquid water.

From Science Daily

He had burlap over his shoes to silence his footsteps and ammonia on his clothes to drive off dogs.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.