nitromethane en · NOUN
Etymology
Etymology tree Egyptian nṯr Proto-Afroasiatic *-i? Egyptian -j Egyptian nṯrjder. Semiticbor. Ancient Greek νῐ́τρον (nĭ́tron) English nitro- Proto-Indo-European *médʰu Proto-Hellenic *métʰu Ancient Greek μέθυ (méthu) Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.? Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)der. German -yl German Methylbor. English methyl Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Italic *-nos Proto-Italic *-ānos Latin -ānusder. English -ane English methane English nitromethane From nitro- + methane.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) The simplest nitroparaffin, CH₃NO₂; a colourless oily liquid used in organic synthesis, and as a fuel for rockets, racing cars and model aircraft.
After trial and error, they settled on nitromethane—a dry-cleaning solvent and sometime rocket fuel—as by far the most potent.
2022 July 21, Marlan Davis, “What Is Nitromethane, Anyway?”, in MotorTrend:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| nitromethanes | Number=Plur | lexicographic |