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Glite Dictionary
amyl nitrate

amyl nitrate

6.8
A chemical used to widen blood vessels to relieve chest pain
  • noun
  • /ˈeɪmɪl ˈnaɪtreɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : nitrato de amilo
  • Doctors often prescribe amyl nitrate to help relieve chest pain in angina patients.

Examples

  • During the emergency, the paramedic administered amyl nitrate to improve blood flow.

  • I ask because amyl nitrate is often made available to heart patients.

    Body of Evidence (1993)

  • Some athletes misuse amyl nitrate for its performance-enhancing effects, which is dangerous.

Surface Forms

amyl nitrate singular
amyl nitrates plural

Morphology

amyl + nitrate

The term is a straightforward chemical compound name formed compositionally from 'amyl' (an alkyl radical) + 'nitrate' (an NO3 salt/ester), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes a nitrate ester of the amyl group. The specific pharmacological role as a vasodilator is specialized knowledge, but the basic identity as a chemical compound is directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

The chemical name amyl nitrate comes from two parts: amyl, an old name for a small five-carbon piece first linked to starch, and nitrate, meaning it contains nitric acid. Think of a small chemical 'piece' joined to 'nitrate' that works fast to widen blood vessels; that's why amyl nitrate is used to 'open blood vessels' and help with 'chest pain' in angina.