nitrogen (ni'tro-jen)

Syn.: azote. A non-metallic element, discovered by Priest ley in 1772. It is an indifferent, colorle , tastele gas, present in the atmosphere; also present, in small quantities, in the intestinal tract and in the blood. Symbol N. Atomic weight, 14.01. Intra pleural injections of n. have been used to compre the lung in the treatment of tubercular disease, n. determination. See Kjeldahl. n. dioxid. NO2; a brown, poisonous gas. n. monoxid. Nitrous oxid, laughing gas; a colorle gas, N2O, of agreeable odor and sweetish taste. When inhaled it produces anesthesia, without muscular relaxation. It is now widely used for inducing anesthesia, to avoid the disagreeable early stages of ether anesthesia. It is often used with oxygen when it is desired to maintain narcosis for more than a minute. n. oxid. See n. monoxid, n. tetroxid, and n. pentoxid. n. pentoxid. Nitric an hydrid, anhydrous nitric acid; a white crystalline substance, N2O5. It is volatile and deliquescent, and is a powerful oxidizing agent. United with water, it forms nitric acid. n. peroxid. See n. tetroxid. n. protoxid. See n. monoxid. n. tetroxid. A liquid which at temperatures below 0° C. is colorle , but which above this point becomes yellow and gradually deepens in color till it attains a dark orange hue. [Gr., nitron, niter, -f gennan, to produce.]