# nitrox

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈnaɪtɹɒks/

## Definitions
1. An industrial process for case hardening (imparting greater surface hardness to) metal objects, involving nitrocarburizing (the diffusion of carbon and nitrogen into the metal) followed by oxidation.
2. A mixture of nitrogen and oxygen, the nitrogen content being lower than that of normal air, which is used in place of air as a breathing gas.

## Etymology
Blend of nitro(gen) + ox(ygen). Analyzable as nitro- + ox

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/nitrox