Ni·tro·glyc·er·in, Ni·tro·glyc·er·ine n. 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.]
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.
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glyceryl trinitrate
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: nitroglycerin, nitroglycerine, trinitroglycerin,
Nitrospan, Nitrostat]