plural nitrates
1
: a salt or ester of nitric acid
2
: sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate used as a fertilizer
3
: any of several nitric-acid esters of cellulose : nitrocellulose
especially
: a product (such as celluloid film) made from cellulose nitrate
In the case of the Clark Gable Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), the nitrate original was destroyed before anyone noticed the transferred soundtrack was out of sync. —
Roy Hemming
Roy Hemming Examples of nitrate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The initiative is part of Viva Cinemateca, a program launched in 2023 to restore significant collections like nitrate film reels and the Canal 100 archive.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025
The instrument detected an abundance of sulfur, which can be used to preserve organic molecules; nitrates, which are essential for plant and animal health on Earth; and methane composed of a type of carbon associated with biological processes on Earth.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2025
Yet, without these natural nitrate deposits, American war efforts would have suffered.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
The safety standard for nitrates is 10 parts per million or less from the tap for drinking water, but people with private wells often find their nitrate levels are higher.
—John Molseed, Twin Cities, 10 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for nitrate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jamie Lang, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025
The instrument detected an abundance of sulfur, which can be used to preserve organic molecules; nitrates, which are essential for plant and animal health on Earth; and methane composed of a type of carbon associated with biological processes on Earth.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2025
Yet, without these natural nitrate deposits, American war efforts would have suffered.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
The safety standard for nitrates is 10 parts per million or less from the tap for drinking water, but people with private wells often find their nitrate levels are higher.
—John Molseed, Twin Cities, 10 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for nitrate
Cite this Entry
“Nitrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nitrate. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nitrate
noun
ni·trate
ˈnī-ˌtrāt 
-trət
1
: a chemical compound formed by the reaction of nitric acid with another substance
2
: nitrate of sodium or potassium used as a fertilizer
Medical Definition
nitrate
noun
ni·trate
ˈnī-ˌtrāt, -trət
: a salt or ester of nitric acid
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share