Nitro

/ˈnaɪtroʊ/ adjective

Definition

Relating to nitrogen compounds or their reactions, especially high-powered or extreme; often used to describe high-octane fuel or energy.

Etymology

Short for 'nitrogen,' from Greek 'nitron' (soda) and 'gen' (producing). The prefix 'nitro-' attached to chemistry became slang for anything explosive or extreme.

Kelly Says

Nitroglycerine—made of nitrogen compounds—was invented as a safer explosive than dynamite, but ironically it's so unstable that Alfred Nobel had to invent dynamite to contain it safely.

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