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azoto

nitrogen

noun ah-DZOH-toh Rare
Animals & Nature Environment

Origin: From Greek a- (without) and zōē (life), coined because pure nitrogen does not support life.

Usage Note

Azoto is the Italian name for nitrogen (symbol N). The initial z is voiced (dz), giving ah-DZOH-toh. In agriculture azoto appears frequently in discussions of fertiliser and soil chemistry. Azoto liquido (liquid nitrogen) is encountered in scientific and increasingly in culinary contexts.

Examples

"L'azoto costituisce il 78% dell'atmosfera terrestre."

Natural Translation

Nitrogen makes up 78% of the Earth's atmosphere.

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