Library / English Dictionary

NITRIFY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: nitrified   

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Treat (soil) with nitrates

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "nitrify" is one way to...):

feed; fertilise; fertilize (provide with fertilizers or add nutrients to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Antonym:

denitrify (remove nitrogen from)

Derivation:

nitrate (any compound containing the nitrate group (such as a salt or ester of nitric acid))

nitrification (the oxidation of ammonium compounds in dead organic material into nitrates and nitrites by soil bacteria (making nitrogen available to plants))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Treat with nitrogen or a nitrogen compound

Synonyms:

nitrify; nitrogenise; nitrogenize

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "nitrify" is one way to...):

process; treat (subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

nitrate (any compound containing the nitrate group (such as a salt or ester of nitric acid))

nitrification (the chemical process in which a nitro group is added to an organic compound (or substituted for another group in an organic compound))

nitrogen (a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues)

nitrous acid (an unstable inorganic acid known only in solution and as nitrite salts)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Convert into nitric acid, nitrous acid, or nitrate, especially with the action of nitrobacteria

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "nitrify" is one way to...):

convert (change the nature, purpose, or function of something)

"Nitrify" entails doing...:

oxidate; oxidise; oxidize (add oxygen to or combine with oxygen)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

nitrate (any compound containing the nitrate group (such as a salt or ester of nitric acid))

nitric acid (acid used especially in the production of fertilizers and explosives and rocket fuels)

nitrification (the oxidation of ammonium compounds in dead organic material into nitrates and nitrites by soil bacteria (making nitrogen available to plants))

nitrous acid (an unstable inorganic acid known only in solution and as nitrite salts)

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