the univalent NO₂ functional group.
"The nitro compound was synthesized by adding a nitro group to the benzene ring."
In plain English: Nitro is short for nitrous oxide, which is a gas used to make things explode faster and also sold as whipped cream chargers.
"The nitro explosion shattered the window when the engine overheated on the race track."
containing the nitro group; such compounds tend to be unstable and often explosive
"The chemist handled the highly volatile nitro compound with extreme caution because its instability made it prone to sudden explosion."
In plain English: Nitro means containing nitrous oxide, which is often used to make things explode faster and more powerfully.
"The nitro engine in that car makes it go much faster than usual."
A city in West Virginia
"The historic downtown area of Nitro, West Virginia, was recently featured on a local tourism website."
The word "nitro" comes from the chemical compound nitrocellulose and was originally used to refer to local gunpowder manufacturing. It entered English as a shortened form describing materials or processes involving this explosive substance.