n.
Pronunciation: ' n ī -tr ə -j ə n
Function: noun
Usage: often attrib
Etymology: French nitrogène, from nitre niter + -gène -gen
Date: 1794
: a colorless tasteless odorless element that as a diatomic gas is relatively inert and constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere and that is a constituent of organic compounds found in all living tissues ― see ELEMENT table
– ni · trog · e · nous \ n ī - ' trä-j ə -n ə s \ adjective