noun
nitrogen
Chemical element with symbol N and atomic number 7. Used in scientific and everyday contexts.
空気の約78%は窒素です。
About 78% of air is nitrogen.
液体窒素はとても冷たい。
Liquid nitrogen is very cold.
Coined in Japan as a calque of the Western term 'nitrogen'. The kanji 窒 means 'to block' or 'suffocate', and 素 means 'element', referring to nitrogen's property of not supporting respiration.