nitrous oxide

noun

: a colorless gas N2O that when inhaled produces loss of sensibility to pain preceded by exhilaration and sometimes laughter, that is used especially as an anesthetic in dentistry and as a fuel, and that is an atmospheric pollutant and greenhouse gas produced by combustion

called also laughing gas

compare nitric oxide

Examples of nitrous oxide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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And of course, Dennis Hopper, huffing nitrous oxide as rapist, gang leader Frank Booth is a vision of male bestiality ripped out of a Francis Bacon painting (Lynch has acknowledged Bacon as a key influence on his work). Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2025 Selling and purchasing nitrous oxide for its intended purpose is legal, but some states have outlawed recreational use of the gas. Rachel Hale, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025 For the teams with the right ingredients, in this era of defensive football, an elite runner could be like injecting nitrous oxide in their engines. Ted Nguyen, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025 The complaint lists numerous cases dating back to 2009 of drivers around the country causing injury and harm after inhaling nitrous oxide. Ben Dandridge-Lemco, Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nitrous oxide 

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nitrous oxide was in 1798

Dictionary Entries Near nitrous oxide

Cite this Entry

“Nitrous oxide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nitrous%20oxide. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

nitrous oxide

noun
: a colorless gas that when inhaled causes loss of the ability to feel pain and sometimes produces laughter and is used especially in dentistry

called also laughing gas

Medical Definition

nitrous oxide

noun
: a colorless gas N2O that when inhaled produces loss of sensibility to pain preceded by exhilaration and sometimes laughter and is used especially as an anesthetic in dentistry

called also laughing gas

More from Merriam-Webster on nitrous oxide

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