noun ·5 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   The compound glyceryl-tri-nitrate or 1,2,3 tri-nitrooxy propane; the ester of glycerol with nitric acid; prepared by the careful addition of a mixture of nitric and sulphuric acids to glycerol with constant stirring and cooling; it is a thick, pale yellow liquid, that is highly explosive on concussion or on exposure to sudden heat; it is used in medicine as a vasodilator, and as an explosive in the form of dynamite which is safe to handle. uncountable, usually

   "Holonym: dynamite"

2. 2
   a heavy yellow poisonous oily explosive liquid obtained by nitrating glycerol; used in making explosives and medically as a vasodilator (trade names Nitrospan and Nitrostat) wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

glyceryl trinitratetrinitroglyceringlycerine trinitrateglycerine trinitrateglycerol trinitrateglycerol trinitrate

Etymology

From nitro- + glycerine.

Related phrases

nitric acidsulphuric acid

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.