n. A compound of nitrogen where nitrogen has an oxidation state of −3.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. A binary compound of nitrogen with a more metallic element or radical.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. A compound of nitrogen with any other element or radical, particularly a compound of nitrogen with phosphorus, boron, silicon, or a metal.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. a compound containing nitrogen and a more electropositive element (such as phosphorus or a metal)
Word Usage
"Using a technique called oblique angle deposition, the researchers deposited silica nanorods at an angle of precisely 45 degrees on top of a thin film of aluminum nitride, which is a semiconducting material used in advanced light-emitting diodes (LEDs)."