# ammonia

/əˈmoʊnjə/ (US) · /æmˈəʊniə/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ammonia
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. chemical compound

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a gas with a very strong, sharp smell that is made of nitrogen and hydrogen.

For teachers: a colourless, pungent gaseous compound of hydrogen and nitrogen (NH₃) that is highly soluble in water.

- The factory uses ammonia to produce fertilizers for large farms.
- Ammonia plays a critical role in the nitrogen cycle and is synthesized industrially via the Haber-Bosch process for use in agricultural fertilizers.

Usage: Uncountable when referring to the chemical substance in general; countable when referring to specific types or solutions in a laboratory context.

### 2. cleaning liquid

noun · CEFR B2

a liquid cleaning product that contains ammonia, used for tough jobs like cleaning glass or floors.

For teachers: an aqueous solution of ammonia used as a domestic or industrial cleaning agent due to its alkaline properties.

- You should wear gloves when using ammonia to clean the kitchen floor.
- The janitor used a diluted solution of ammonia to strip the old wax from the linoleum before applying a fresh coat.

Teaching tip: Learners should be warned never to mix ammonia with bleach, as it creates toxic fumes.

## Examples

- The cleaning spray contains ammonia.
- She opened the window to clear the strong smell of ammonia from the kitchen.
- The sharp scent of ammonia lingered in the air long after the industrial cleaning crew had finished their work.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.