NITROGLYCERINS

Noun

nitroglycerins

plural of nitroglycerin

Source: Wiktionary


NITROGLYCERIN

Ni`tro*glyc"er*in, n. Etym: [Nitro- + glycerinn.] (Chem.)

Definition: A liquid appearing like a heavy oil, colorless or yellowish, and consisting of a mixture of several glycerin salts of nitric acid, and hence more properly called glycerin nitrate. It is made by the action of nitric acid on glycerin in the presence of sulphuric acid. It is extremely unstable and terribly explosive. A very dilute solution is used in medicine as a neurotic under the name of glonion. [Written also nitroglycerine.]

Note: A great number of explosive compounds have been produced by mixing nitroglycerin with different substances; as, dynamite, or giant powder, nitroglycerin mixed with siliceous earth; lithofracteur, nitroglycerin with gunpowder, or with sawdust and nitrate of sodium or barium; Colonia powder, gunpowder with nitroglycerin; dualin, nitroglycerin with sawdust, or with sawdust and nitrate of potassium and some other substances; lignose, wood fiber and nitroglycerin.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Coffee Trivia

The word “coffee” entered the English language in 1582 via the Dutch “koffie,” borrowed from the Ottoman Turkish “kahve,” borrowed in turn from the Arabic “qahwah.” The Arabic word qahwah was traditionally held to refer to a type of wine.

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