denitrating
|de-ni-tra-ting|
/dɪˈnaɪtreɪt/
(denitrate)
remove nitrate
Etymology
'denitrate' originates from Modern English, formed from the prefix 'de-' + 'nitrate', where 'de-' meant 'remove' and 'nitrate' referred to the salt or ester of nitric acid.
'nitrate' itself comes from French 'nitrate' (modern), ultimately from Medieval Latin 'nitras, nitrat-' and Latin 'nitrum', which traces back to Greek 'nitron' and earlier Semitic/Egyptian sources; 'denitrate' was formed in English by productive use of the prefix 'de-' with the chemical noun.
Initially built to mean 'to remove nitrate or a nitrate group,' the term has retained that specialized chemical/process meaning and is used in technical contexts (chemistry, environmental science).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
present participle or gerund form of 'denitrate' — to remove nitrate (ions, salts) or nitrate/nitro functional groups from a substance (e.g., in chemical reactions or wastewater treatment).
The bacteria are denitrating the wastewater, converting nitrate into nitrogen gas.
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Adjective 1
acting to remove or in the process of removing nitrate; causing denitration (used attributively: e.g., a denitrating enzyme/agent).
A denitrating enzyme was added to the reaction to remove the nitro group from the substrate.
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Last updated: 2025/10/23 09:54