Nitrite
/ˈnaɪ.traɪt/noun
A salt or ester of nitrous acid, containing the ion NO2−.
Did you know?Nitrite got its name in the 19th century as chemists built a naming system around *nitric* and *nitrous* compounds, both ultimately tied to Latin *nitrum*—the ancient word for a naturally occurring mineral used for cleaning and glassmaking.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
nítron
“A naturally occurring mineral salt, especially natron.”
Latin
Latin
nitrum
“Natron or soda ash; a mineral salt used in cleaning and glassmaking.”
17th–18th Century
Latin/English
nitre
“A mineral salt, especially potassium nitrate.”
18th–19th Century
Latin/English
nitrous
“Relating to nitre or nitric acid compounds.”
19th Century
English
nitrite
“A salt of nitrous acid, named in chemical nomenclature as the corresponding lower-oxygen form.”