ammonia

noun

am·​mo·​nia ə-ˈmō-nyə 

1

: a pungent colorless gaseous alkaline compound of nitrogen and hydrogen NH₃ that is very soluble in water and can easily be condensed to a liquid by cold and pressure

2

: ammonia water

Examples of ammonia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The findings in the Nature Astronomy paper were significant not just for the discovery of the five RNA and DNA precursors, but for the presence of abundant levels of ammonia, which is a key chemical building block for life. —Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 29 Jan. 2025

For ammonia to exist in salt form, the environment must be cold. —Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 29 Jan. 2025

Glavin’s team also found compounds rich in nitrogen and ammonia in the samples, suggesting that Bennu was part of a larger asteroid that formed about 4.5 billion years ago in the frigid, distant regions of the solar system. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025

Hog and poultry barns are equipped with giant exhaust fans that push pollutants, such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter, out into the atmosphere. —Kenny Torrella, Vox, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, derivative based on Latin sal ammōniacus "rock salt," literally, "salt of Ammon," from ammōniacus "of Ammon," borrowed from Greek ammōniakós, derivative of Ámmōn, an Egyptian deity identified by the Greeks with Zeus, borrowed from Egyptian ỉmn; from its having been extracted near an oracle of Ammon near the Siwa oasis in Egypt

Note: The identification of sal ammoniac, not well described by ancient authors, as ammonium chloride was apparently part of medieval alchemical tradition.

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ammonia

• ammonia water

Kids Definition

ammonia

noun

am·​mo·​nia ə-ˈmō-nyə 

1

: a colorless gas that is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen, has a sharp smell and taste, is easily dissolved in water, can easily be made a liquid by cold and pressure, is used to make ice, fertilizers, and explosives, and is the chief nitrogen-containing waste product of many organisms that live in water

2

: a solution of ammonia in water

ammoniacal

ˌam-ə-ˈnī-ə-kəl

adjective

Etymology

from Latin sal ammoniacus "ammonium chloride," literally "salt of Ammon," named for the Egyptian god Ammon near whose temple the salt was extracted

Medical Definition

ammonia

noun

am·​mo·​nia ə-ˈmō-nyə 

1

: a pungent colorless gaseous alkaline compound of nitrogen and hydrogen NH₃ that is very soluble in water and can easily be condensed to a liquid by cold and pressure

2

: ammonia water