azote

az·ote
A1Z10O1T1E1
/ˈæzəʊt/

noun

Nitrogen.

OriginFrench azote ← Ancient Greek ζωή (zōḗ) ← Proto-Hellenic *d͏̌ṓwō →
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Meanings

nounazote (uncountable)
  1. historicaluncountableNitrogen.

    The proportion of azote gas to that of the oxigen obtained is as 64 to 36.

    1801, Christopher Girtanner, “A Memoir, in which the Queſtion is examined, whether Azote be a ſimple or complex body?”, in William Nicholson, editor, Journal of Natural Philosophy, Chemistry and the Arts, volume 4, page 170
    3 more examples

    Azote is one of the most abundant elements in nature, and combined with calorique or heat, it forms azotic gas or phlogistic air, and composes two thirds of the atmosphere […].

    1791, Erasmus Darwin, The Economy of Vegetation, J. Johnson, page 73

    1823, Chemistry, entry in Charles Maclaren (chief editor), Encyclopædia Britannica, 6th Edition, page 366, Hence it is obvious that deutoxide of azote is a compound of one volume of azote and one volume of oxygen gas united together, without any alteration of volume, consequently its specific gravity is the mean of that of oxygen and azotic gases.It is composed, by weight, of azote 0.9722 or 1.75, oxygen 1.1111 or 2. If we reckon the atomic weight of azote 1.75, this gas is obviously a compound of one atom azote and two atoms oxygen.

    Those who have adopted these opinions, represent the atom of azote by the number 1.75. We consider the 5 compounds of azote and oxygen, as composed of 1 atom azote, united with 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, atoms of oxygen.

    1831, Thomas Thomson, A System of Chemistry of Inorganic Bodies, volume 1, page 133

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
nitrogen

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  3. Proto-Hellenic*ə-
  4. Ancient Greekᾰ̓- (ă-)
  5. Proto-Indo-European*gʷeyh₃-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*gʷih₃wós
  7. Proto-Indo-European*gʷíh₃weti
  8. Proto-Hellenic*gʷyṓw-ō
  9. Proto-Hellenic*d͏̌ṓwō
  10. Ancient Greekζώω (zṓō)
  11. Ancient Greekζῶ (zô)
  12. Ancient Greekζωή (zōḗ)
  13. Frenchazote
  14. Englishazote

Borrowed from French azote, from Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-, “without”) + ζωή (zōḗ, “life”) + -τικός (-tikós, “adjective suffix”). Named by French chemist and biologist Antoine Lavoisier, who saw it as the part of air which cannot sustain life.

More words from French, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

azote. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/azote

MLA

“azote.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/azote. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “azote,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/azote.

Source: azote on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.