nitromethane

N1I1T1R1O1M3E1T1H4A1N1E1

noun

The simplest nitroparaffin, CH₃NO₂; a colourless oily liquid used in organic synthesis, and as a fuel for rockets, racing cars and model aircraft.

OriginEnglish methane ← German Methy ← Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē) →
RareScrabble 17
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Meanings

nounnitromethane (countable and uncountable, plural nitromethanes)

plural nitromethanes

  1. countableuncountablechemistryThe simplest nitroparaffin, CH₃NO₂; a colourless oily liquid used in organic synthesis, and as a fuel for rockets, racing cars and model aircraft.

    After trial and error, they settled on nitromethane—a dry-cleaning solvent and sometime rocket fuel—as by far the most potent.

    2022 July 21, Marlan Davis, “What Is Nitromethane, Anyway?”, in MotorTrend

Origin

  1. Egyptiannṯr
  2. Egyptiannṯrj
  3. Ancient Greekνῐ́τρον (nĭ́tron)
  4. Englishnitro-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*médʰu
  6. Proto-Hellenic*métʰu
  7. Ancient Greekμέθυ (méthu)
  8. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  9. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  10. GermanMethy
  11. Englishmethyl
  12. Englishmethane
  13. Englishnitromethane

From nitro- + methane.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

nanothermite
Cite this entry
APA

nitromethane. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nitromethane

MLA

“nitromethane.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nitromethane. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nitromethane,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nitromethane.

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