nitrous oxide

noun

: a colorless gas N₂O that when inhaled produces loss of sensibility to pain preceded by exhilaration and sometimes laughter, that is used especially as an anesthetic in dentistry and as a fuel, and that is an atmospheric pollutant and greenhouse gas produced by combustion

called also laughing gas

compare nitric oxide

Examples of nitrous oxide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Evil Dentists There was also a Weeknd who seemed to be addicted to nitrous oxide. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2024

Doe is the second former staffer to raise concern about West’s alleged nitrous oxide use, after his former chief of staff Milo Yiannopoulos claimed that celebrity dentist Thomas P. Connelly was hooking West up with copious amounts of laughing gas for recreational use. —Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2024

Galaxy Gas is just one of many nitrous oxide brands, and on social media the name has become a catchall term for nitrous oxide products featured in hundreds of videos showing young people inhaling the gas to get high, with potentially dangerous consequences. —Alex Clark, CBS News, 30 Sep. 2024

But without a food ingredient in the canister, dispensing the charger emits just the nitrous oxide. —Kristen Rogers, CNN, 20 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

nitrous oxide

noun

: a colorless gas that when inhaled causes loss of the ability to feel pain and sometimes produces laughter and is used especially in dentistry

called also laughing gas

Medical Definition

nitrous oxide

noun

: a colorless gas N₂O that when inhaled produces loss of sensibility to pain preceded by exhilaration and sometimes laughter and is used especially as an anesthetic in dentistry

called also laughing gas