nitrogenous

IPA/naɪˈtrɒdʒənəs/
KK[naɪtrˈɑdʒənəs]IPA/naɪˈtrɑːdʒənəs/

nitrogenous — adjective

  • nitrogenouspositive
  • more nitrogenouscomparative
  • most nitrogenoussuperlative

1. having nitrogen as one of its parts; used to describe substances such as fertili

1.adjectiveC2
Definition

having nitrogen as one of its parts; used to describe substances such as fertilisers, proteins, and animal waste that include this element.

Example

Farmers in Kwame's village spread nitrogenous fertiliser on the maize fields each spring.

nitrogenous + fertiliser collocation

Beans and lentils are rich in nitrogenous compounds that the body uses to build muscle.

nitrogenous + compounds collocation

Common collocations
  • nitrogenous fertiliser
  • nitrogenous compound
  • nitrogenous waste
  • nitrogenous base
Synonyms
  • nitric

    narrower; specifically about nitrogen in its higher oxidation states, e.g. nitric acid

  • protein-rich

    everyday equivalent when talking about food rather than pure chemistry

Antonyms
  • nitrogen-free

    explicitly lacking nitrogen, used in chemistry and nutrition labels

Grammar Patterns

nitrogenous + noun

be + nitrogenous

Usage Note

Almost always attributive before a chemistry or biology noun (fertiliser, compound, waste, base). Subject of 'be nitrogenous' is typically a named substance or sample in a scientific context.

Common Mistakes

Sofie ate a very nitrogenous lunch.
Sofie ate a protein-rich lunch.
'nitrogenous' is a technical chemistry word; everyday food talk uses 'protein-rich' or 'high in protein'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words point toward nitrogen, but in different registers and with different scope. 'Nitrogenous' is the broadest scientific term: anything that contains nitrogen as part of its make-up, including fertilisers, proteins, and waste. 'Nitric' is narrower and refers specifically to nitrogen in higher-oxidation compounds, most often in the fixed phrase 'nitric acid'. 'Nitrous' refers to nitrogen in lower-oxidation forms, as in 'nitrous oxide' (laughing gas). 'Protein-rich' is the everyday register that learners actually use when talking about food and nutrition — a teacher would describe lentils as protein-rich, while a chemist would describe them as containing nitrogenous compounds.

nitrogenous ↗nitricnitrousprotein-rich

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • nitrogenous fertiliser
  • nitrogenous compound
  • nitrogenous waste
  • nitrogenous base

Etymology

GreekFrenchEnglish

Built from the chemistry name 'nitrogen' (coined in late 18th-century French from Greek 'nitron' for a soda-like mineral plus '-gen' meaning 'producing') plus the English adjective ending '-ous' meaning 'having the quality of'. The word entered English in the early 19th century as scientists began to describe substances by which elements they contained.