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Glite Dictionary
to denitrify

to denitrify

9.9
To remove nitrogen from soil or water
  • verb
  • /dɪˈnaɪtrɪfaɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : desnitrificar
  • To reduce pollution, scientists work to denitrify the nutrients in water bodies that can harm aquatic life.
  • denitrifying bacteria

Examples

  • The treatment plant aims to denitrify the wastewater before releasing it into the river.

  • From there, it could be denitrified into simple N2 and emitted into the atmosphere, but the ultimate fate of that accumulating nitrogen remains unclear.

    Academic text (2012)

  • For landowners interested in the new denitrifying bioreactor system, it is approved now for cost-sharing by both the state (BWSR) and the federal government (NRCS).

    Blog text (17)

  • Farmers use special techniques to denitrify soil, improving its health and crop yield.

Antonyms

to nitrify
  • Specialized
9.8

To add nitrogen fertilizer to soil to help plants grow

Surface Forms

denitrify infinitive
denitrified past
denitrified past participle
denitrifying present participle
denitrifies third person singular

Morphology

denitrify = nitrify (semi-transparent) = de + nitr + ify

Given the technical verb 'nitrify', adding 'de-' straightforwardly signals removal or reversal of that nitrogen-related process.

Etymology

Denitrify has two parts: de- meaning 'remove' and nitrogen, the element found in air, soil, and water. So to denitrify is to take nitrogen or its compounds out of a substance, often by chemicals or by tiny living things like bacteria.