Etymology

nitrocellulose

N1I1T1R1O1C3E1L1L1U1L1O1S1E1

Today it means: A cotton-like material, made from cellulose by the action of nitric and sulphuric acids, used in the manufacture of explosives, collodion etc. Full definition →

English cellulose ← French cellulose ← Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.?
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The story

  1. Egyptiannṯr
  2. Egyptiannṯrj
  3. Ancient Greekνῐ́τρον (nĭ́tron)
  4. Englishnitro-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*ḱel-
  6. Latincella
  7. Latincellula
  8. Frenchcellule
  9. Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
  11. Frenchcellulose
  12. Englishcellulose
  13. English todaynitrocellulose

From nitro- + cellulose.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.