1. Plural of nitre; potassium nitrate, a white crystalline compound used in fertilizers, explosives, and food preservation.
Usage: British spelling; American spelling is 'nitrates' or 'niter/niters'; Also called saltpeter

Examples

• The factory produced large quantities of nitres for use in fertilizer manufacturing.
• Historically, nitres were essential ingredients in gunpowder production.
• The chemist analyzed the purity of the nitres before adding them to the mixture.
• Medieval alchemists valued nitres for their explosive properties.
• Modern agriculture relies on nitres to enhance soil nitrogen content.