nitric oxide

noun

: a colorless poisonous gas NO formed by oxidation of nitrogen or ammonia that is present in the atmosphere and also in mammals where it is synthesized from arginine and oxygen and acts as a vasodilator and as a mediator of cell-to-cell communication (as between nerve cells) compare nitrous oxide

Examples of nitric oxide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

High nitric oxide levels indicate swelling and inflammation in the lungs.14 Asthma Attack Treatment Treating an asthma attack aims to reduce airway inflammation and open the airways to relieve symptoms and restore normal breathing. —Lindsay Curtis, Health, 9 Oct. 2024

Humphry Davy, a young lab assistant at the Pneumatic Institution, had a hunch that Priestley’s discovery had been confused with a chemically similar but highly irritating compound: nitric oxide. —Oshan Jarow, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Specifically, there's an amino acid in nuts and meat called L-arginine that becomes converted to nitric oxide in the body, which can increase blood flow. —Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2024

This potential benefit is linked to an increase in nitric oxide production in the blood, triggered by the nitrates found in beetroot juice.13 A small study found a significant rise in blood nitrate levels after supplementing with beetroot, which led to improvements in reaction time. —Roxana Ehsani, Health, 24 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

nitric oxide

noun

: a poisonous colorless gas NO that occurs as a common air pollutant formed by the oxidation of atmospheric nitrogen and that is also formed by the oxidation of arginine in the mammalian body where it acts as a mediator of intracellular and intercellular communication regulating numerous biological processes (as vasodilation and neurotransmission)