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NDMA

(ĕn′dē′ĕm′ā)

A highly toxic, carcinogenic nitrosamine, C₂H₆N₂O, that occurs in tobacco smoke and certain foods and is sometimes found as a contaminant in drinking water. Also called dimethylnitrosamine.

[n(itroso)d(i)m(ethyl)a(mine) : nitroso-, containing the group NO attached to an organic moeity (from Latin nitrōsus, full of natron (taken as "full of nitrates" since natron and potassium nitrate were often confused in medieval science ); see NITROSAMINE) + DI-¹ + METHYL + -AMINE.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

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Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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