Nitroglycerin

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A volatile liquid explosive compound used in dynamite and also prescribed as a medication to relieve chest pain and improve blood flow in patients with heart conditions
2. A colorless oily compound that acts as a potent vasodilator for cardiac relief or as an unstable explosive ingredient in detonation devices
3. An organic nitrate substance functioning both as a rapid-acting heart medication that widens blood vessels and as a highly sensitive explosive used in industrial and military applications

Etymology: Nitroglycerin is a plain chemical compound name, built from two older words. The first part, "nitro-", comes from Greek "nitron", the name of natron, a naturally occurring soda salt. That Greek word was borrowed from an Egyptian term, "ntr", and passed through a Semitic language on the way, so the chemistry name carries an ancient Egyptian trade word inside it. The second part, "glycerin", comes from Greek "glykys", meaning "sweet," a reference to the substance's taste. Joining the two describes the compound as a glycerin that has been treated with nitro groups. The medicinal and explosive uses came later, and the name records only the chemistry.