From the Egyptian word for divine — nitrate traces back to the sacred purifying salts used in mummification.
A salt or ester of nitric acid, used in fertilizers, explosives, and food preservation.
From French nitrate, from nitre (saltpeter) plus the chemical suffix -ate, from Greek nitron meaning native soda, which came from Egyptian nṯry meaning divine or pure Key roots: nṯry (Egyptian: "divine, pure").
Nitrate ultimately traces to an Egyptian word meaning "divine" — because the ancient Egyptians considered natron (natural soda) a sacred purifying substance, essential for mummification. A word that began in sacred ritual ended up naming the chemicals in fertilizers, explosives, and cured meat.