nitrate

nitrate — noun

1. a chemical compound made up of nitrogen and oxygen atoms that is used especially

1.nounB2
Definition

a chemical compound made up of nitrogen and oxygen atoms that is used especially to enrich soil for farming and to preserve certain foods.

Example

Last spring, farmers in Minh's village added nitrate to their rice fields before planting.

collocation: add nitrate to [crop] fields

The lab report showed that the nitrate levels in the river were dangerously high.

collocation: nitrate levels

Synonyms
  • fertilizer

    a broader category; nitrate is one type of fertilizer, but fertilizer also includes phosphate, potash, and other substances.

  • saltpeter

    a specific historical name for potassium nitrate, used in gunpowder and food curing; less common in modern everyday language.

Grammar Patterns

adjective + nitrate

nitrate + noun

Usage Note

Nitrate is often used in the plural form (nitrates) when referring to different types or sources of the compound, but in general contexts it is treated as uncountable.

Common Mistakes

You should nitrate the soil before planting.
You should add nitrate to the soil before planting.
Nitrate is a noun, not a verb; you add nitrate to something rather than 'nitrate' something.
The plant needs more nitrate in the air.
The plant needs more nitrogen in the air.
Nitrate is a specific compound of nitrogen and oxygen, not the same as the element nitrogen (N₂) found in the air.

Word family

  • nitrogen
    nounB2
  • nitrite
    nounC1
  • nitric
    adjectiveC1
  • nitrous
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Nitrate, nitrogen, nitrite, fertilizer, and saltpeter are all related to plant growth and chemistry, but they refer to different substances. Nitrogen (N) is a chemical element and a gas that makes up most of the air, but plants cannot use it directly. Nitrate (NO₃⁻) is a compound of nitrogen and oxygen that plants absorb from the soil as a nutrient. Nitrite (NO₂⁻) is a similar but different compound with one less oxygen atom; it is often used in food preservation but can be toxic in large amounts. Fertilizer is a general term for any substance added to soil to enrich it, and nitrate is one common type of fertilizer. Saltpeter (potassium nitrate) is a specific nitrate compound with historical uses in gunpowder and meat curing. For example, a gardener might buy a nitrate-based fertilizer for crops, while the air around the plants contains nitrogen gas that they cannot use.

fertilizer ↗nitrogen ↗nitritesaltpeter

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • add nitrate to
  • contain nitrate
  • nitrate in drinking water

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Nitrate entered English in the late 1700s from French nitrate, which was formed from the older word niter (a mineral form of potassium nitrate) combined with the chemical suffix -ate, used to name salts and esters of acids. Niter itself came through Latin nitrum from Greek nitron, referring to naturally occurring salt compounds. The modern usage expanded as chemists identified the nitrate ion (NO₃⁻) and its role in agriculture and food science.