NITRIFICATIONS
Noun
nitrifications
plural of nitrification
Source: Wiktionary
NITRIFICATION
Ni`tri*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. nitrification. see Nitrify.]
1. (Chem.)
(a) The act, process, or result of combining with nitrogen or some of
its compounds.
(b) The act or process of oxidizing nitrogen or its compounds so as
to form nitrous or nitric acid.
2. A process of oxidation, in which nitrogenous vegetable and animal
matter in the presence of air, moisture, and some basic substances,
as lime or alkali carbonate, is converted into nitrates.
Note: The process is going on at all times in porous soils and in
water contaminated with nitrogenous matter, and is supposed to be due
to the presence of an organized ferment or ferments, called
nitrification ferments. In former times the process was extensively
made use of in the production of saltpeter.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition