Nitroglycerin

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Nitroglycerin \Ni`tro*glyc"er*in\, Nitroglycerine
  \Ni`tro*glyc"er*ine\(n[imac]`tr[-o]*gl[i^]s"[~e]r*[i^]n), n.
     [Nitro- + glycerin.] (Chem.)
     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}; also called {trinitroglycerin} and {glyceryl
     trinitrate}. 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}.]
     [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  nitroglycerin
       n : a heavy yellow poisonous oily explosive liquid obtained by
           nitrating glycerol; used in making explosives and
           medically as a vasodilator (trade names Nitrospan and
           Nitrostat) [syn: {nitroglycerine}, {trinitroglycerin}, {glyceryl
           trinitrate}, {Nitrospan}, {Nitrostat}]