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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 oxideExamples 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
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Word History
First Known Use
1798, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near nitrous oxide
Cite this Entry
“Nitrous oxide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nitrous%20oxide. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
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
More from Merriam-Webster on nitrous oxide
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nitrous oxide
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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