nitrocellulose

N1I1T1R1O1C3E1L1L1U1L1O1S1E1

noun

A cotton-like material, made from cellulose by the action of nitric and sulphuric acids, used in the manufacture of explosives, collodion etc.

Similar
NCcellulose nitratenitrocottongun cottonpyrocellulosepyroxylinguncotton
OriginEnglish cellulose ← French cellulose ← Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.? →
UncommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounnitrocellulose (countable and uncountable, plural nitrocelluloses)

plural nitrocelluloses

  1. countableuncountablechemistryA cotton-like material, made from cellulose by the action of nitric and sulphuric acids, used in the manufacture of explosives, collodion etc.

    Synonyms: NC, cellulose nitrate, nitrocotton, gun cotton, pyrocellulose, pyroxylin

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA cotton-like material, made from cellulose by the action of nitric and sulphuric acids, used in the manufacture of explosives, collodion etc.

Similar
NCcellulose nitratenitrocottongun cottonpyrocellulosepyroxylin

More synonyms by meaning

nouna nitric acid ester; used in lacquers and explosives

Similar
cellulose nitrateguncottonnitrocotton
Broader
cellulose esternitrate
Also see
cellulose nitrateguncottonnitrocotton

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  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. Englishnitrocellulose

From nitro- + cellulose.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan cotó pólvora
  • cotó pólvorathe chemical nitrocellulose
Finnish selluloosanitraatti, nitroselluloosa
  • selluloosanitraattithe chemical nitrocellulose
  • nitroselluloosathe chemical nitrocellulose
French nitrocellulose, fulmi-coton
  • nitrocellulosethe chemical nitrocellulose
  • fulmi-cotonthe chemical nitrocellulose
German Schießbaumwolle, Nitrozellulose
  • Schießbaumwollethe chemical nitrocellulose
  • Nitrozellulosethe chemical nitrocellulose
  • Zellulosenitratthe chemical nitrocellulose
  • Pyroxylinthe chemical nitrocellulose
Greek νιτροκυτταρίνη
  • νιτροκυτταρίνη (nitrokyttaríni)the chemical nitrocellulose
Hungarian cellulóz-nitrát, nitro-cellulóz
  • cellulóz-nitrátthe chemical nitrocellulose
  • nitro-cellulózthe chemical nitrocellulose
Icelandic sprengibómull
  • sprengibómullthe chemical nitrocellulose
Italian nitrocellulosa, fulmicoton
  • nitrocellulosathe chemical nitrocellulose
  • fulmicotonthe chemical nitrocellulose
Polish bawełna strzelnicza
  • bawełna strzelniczathe chemical nitrocellulose
Portuguese algodão-pólvora
  • algodão-pólvorathe chemical nitrocellulose
Romanian nitroceluloză, nitrat de celuloză
  • nitrocelulozăthe chemical nitrocellulose
  • nitrat de celulozăthe chemical nitrocellulose
Spanish nitrocelulosa, fulmicotón
  • nitrocelulosathe chemical nitrocellulose
  • fulmicotónthe chemical nitrocellulose
  • algodón pólvorathe chemical nitrocellulose
  • piroxilinathe chemical nitrocellulose
Swedish cellulosanitrat
  • cellulosanitratthe chemical nitrocellulose
Vietnamese nitroxeluloza
  • nitroxelulozathe chemical nitrocellulose
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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