Definition of "nitroglycerin" []

• A thick, pale yellow liquid, C3H5N3O9, that is explosive on concussion or exposure to sudden heat. It is used in the production of dynamite and blasting gelatin and as a vasodilator in medicine. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The heart drug nitroglycerin is converted to nitric oxide by the body and widens blood vessels, easing the pain of angina."
• "The next step was to elucidate the mechanism by which nitroglycerin is converted to nitric oxide by vascular smooth muscle."
• "Therefore, nitroglycerin is often used by patients with angina pectoris."