English Explanatory Dictionary

niter

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A mineral form of potassium nitrate (saltpetre) used in making gunpowder.
  2. Native sodium carbonate; natron.

Word forms

niter niters nitre

Etymology

From Middle English niter, nitere, nitre, nytre, from Old French nitre, from Latin nitrum (“native soda, natron”), from Ancient Greek νίτρον (nítron). Ultimately from Egyptian nṯrj (“natron”). Doublet of natron and trona. Compare also natrium, nitrogen.

Related words

nitric nitrifaction nitrify nitrogen nitrous

Derived words

niter bush nitracrol Nitralloy nitramidin nitran nitraniline nitranisic nitrate nitridation nitriding nitrile nitrion nitrite nitryl soda niter
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