Definition of ammonia in English:

noun

• 1A colorless gas with a characteristic pungent smell. It dissolves in water to give a strongly alkaline solution.

  Chemical formula: NH₃

  More example sentences

  • ‘He isolated around twenty different airs, including hydrogen chloride, nitric oxide, and ammonia.’
  • ‘In the Solvay process, carbon dioxide and ammonia are passed into a concentrated solution of sodium chloride.’
  • ‘When ammonia is reacted with nitric acid, ammonium nitrate is produced.’
  • ‘Two other very important inorganic compounds that are synthesized commercially are ammonia and nitric acid.’
  • ‘They will be studying water, carbon monoxide, ammonia and methanol four of the most abundant gases from comets.’
  • ‘These include things such as urea, ammonia, nitric acid, and ammonium phosphate.’
  • ‘Tertiary amines are manufactured by heating an alcoholic solution of ammonia with excess alkyl halide.’
  • ‘Some nitrogen gases, especially ammonia, are alkaline when dissolved in rain.’
  • ‘Air, water, hydrocarbons, ammonia and carbondioxide are known as the Friendly Five.’
  • ‘From natural gas, the factory produced ammonia, then nitric acid, urea and ammonium nitrate.’
  • ‘Methanamide is manufactured by reacting carbon monoxide and ammonia together under pressure.’
  • ‘The ligand may be either positively or negatively charged, or may be a molecule of water or ammonia.’
  • ‘Nitric acid is produced industrially by the oxidation of ammonia over a platinum catalyst at a high temperature.’
  • ‘The plant will still emit almost three tonnes of nitrous oxide, ammonia and other toxins into the Lower Fraser Valley per day.’
  • ‘Adenine can be formed from ammonia and hydrogen cyanide, as can guanine.’
  • ‘The ester functional group can also be split by ammonia to give amides and alcohols.’
  • ‘This enzyme breaks down any urea in the stomach to ammonia and carbon dioxide’
  • ‘It does this by activating its own cytoplasmic urease, which converts urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia.’
  • ‘Urinary saturation with struvite occurs only when supranormal excretion of ammonia and alkaline urine occur together.’
  • ‘Only later could they be penalized for exceeding the emissions limits for ammonia and hydrogen sulfide.’

  1. 1.1A solution of ammonia, used as a cleaning fluid.
     More example sentences

     • ‘And I'll remember to stock up on ammonia to clean the eggs off my door the next day when I do’
     • ‘Make a mixture of detergent and ammonia for cleaning the walls.’
     • ‘The fluid smelt of ammonia and the victim was taken to hospital with stinging eyes after his attacker fled.’
     • ‘Never mix chlorine solutions with other cleaning agents or ammonia, because toxic gases are formed.’
     • ‘One member was said to be carrying a washing-up liquid bottle, thought to contain ammonia, while another had a brown cricket kit type bag.’
     • ‘One of the attackers was armed with a washing-up liquid bottle which is believed to have contained ammonia.’
     • ‘Use a light solution of ammonia and water on a toothbrush or soft cloth, then rinse thoroughly with water.’
     • ‘Rub with a cloth dampened in a solution of household ammonia and water.’
     • ‘Fill the tank with a solution of one part household ammonia to 100 parts water.’
     • ‘One way of removing built up floor wax manually, is to mix detergent and ammonia with water and apply to the floor with a mop or sponge.’
     • ‘Some folks also recommend ammonia in the water bottle, but make sure you don't get confused and take a sip.’
     • ‘Add a few drops of ammonia to the rinse water for glass lamps, chimneys, and globes.’