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

One of the molecules that causes those capillaries to open up is called nitric oxide; the discovery of its role in circulation was rewarded with a Nobel Prize, in 1998, and led to, among other things, the development of Viagra. —Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025

Beets are a source of nitrate, which helps form nitric oxide in the body. —Merve Ceylan, Health, 29 Jan. 2025

His own research has helped show that even tiny amounts of hemoglobin outside a red cell can cause immense damage by scavenging nitric oxide. —Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025

This can increase nitric oxide production, improving blood flow and muscle oxygen delivery.7 Nitric oxide also regulates various functions of skeletal muscles, including muscle contraction and repair. —Lindsey Desoto, Rd, Ld, Verywell Health, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nitric oxide

• acetamide
• acetonide
• acidified
• antimonide
• beatified
• benzaldehyde
• borohydride
• chalcogenide
• commodified
• decalcified
• declassified
• disaccharide

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)