Ammoniaque

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A colorless gas with a pungent odor, that is highly soluble in water and used as a cleaning agent and in fertilizers
2. A compound that is a major source of nitrogen, commonly used in agriculture and manufacturing as a cleaning agent
3. A chemical substance characterized by its strong smell, often utilized in industrial applications and household products

Etymology: The name traces back to Egypt. Ancient writers described a salt that was gathered near the temple of Ammon, the god later identified with the Greek Zeus and Roman Jupiter, at an oasis in the Libyan desert. Greek speakers called it "ammoniakos," and Latin took it as "sal ammoniacum," or "salt of Ammon." The salt itself was a naturally occurring ammonium chloride, and the name stuck to it long after its source was forgotten. The French form "ammoniaque" comes from the same chain. When chemists later isolated the pungent gas that dissolves readily in water, they borrowed the old salt's name for it, so the gas was named after a salt that had no direct connection to the gas. The sharp smell that the question mentions is the same property that made the substance useful in cleaning products, and it is the feature that links the modern chemical back to its earlier applications.

Synonyms: ammonia