azote
/ˈeɪzoʊt/
noun
- An old name for nitrogen, a gas that makes up most of Earth's atmosphere.
- In the 18th century, scientists called nitrogen 'azote' because it could not support life.
- The chemist Lavoisier named the gas azote, meaning 'without life' in Greek.
- Early experiments showed that azote made up about four-fifths of the air.
Synonyms