transitive verbnitrified, nitrifying
- to combine with nitrogen or nitrogen compounds
- to impregnate (soil, etc.) with nitrates
- to cause the oxidation of (ammonium salts, atmospheric nitrogen, etc.) to nitrites and nitrates, as by the action of soil bacteria, etc.
Origin of nitrifyFrench nitrifier: see niter and amp; -fy
transitive verbni·tri·fied, ni·tri·fy·ing, ni·tri·fies
- To oxidize (an ammonia compound) into a nitrite or (a nitrite) into a nitrate, especially by the action of nitrifying bacteria.
- To treat or combine with nitrogen or compounds containing nitrogen.
(third-person singular simple present nitrifies, present participle nitrifying, simple past and past participle nitrified)