nitroglycerine

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ni•tro•glyc•er•in /ˌnaɪtrəˈglɪsərɪn/  also ni•tro•glyc•er•ine /ˌnaɪtrəˈglɪsərɪn, -əˌrin/   n. [uncountable]

1. Chemistry an oily liquid used in explosives and as a medicine to make the blood vessels wider.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ni•tro•glyc•er•in  (nī′trə glis′ər in), n. [Chem., Pharm.]

1. a colorless, thick, oily, flammable, highly explosive, slightly water-soluble liquid, C₃H₅N₃O₉, prepared from glycerol with nitric and sulfuric acids: used chiefly as a constituent of dynamite and other explosives, in rocket propellants, and in medicine as a vasodilator in the treatment of angina pectoris.

Also, ni•tro•glyc•er•ine  (nī′trə glis′ər in, -ə rēn′). Also called glonoin, glyceryl trinitrate, trinitroglycerin. 

• nitro- + glycerin 1855–60

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

nitroglycerine / ˌnaɪtrəʊˈɡlɪsəˌriːn/, nitroglycerin / -ˈɡlɪsərɪn/ noun

1. a pale yellow viscous explosive liquid substance made from glycerol and nitric and sulphuric acids and used in explosives, and in medicine as a vasodilator. Formula: CH₂NO₃CHNO₃CH₂NO₃
   Also called: trinitroglycerine