Nitrous oxide is also called dinitrogen monoxide, or laughing gas. One of several oxides of nitrogen, it is a colorless gas with pleasant, sweetish odor and taste, and it is nonflammable. When inhaled nitrous oxide produces relaxation, and a reduced sensibility to pain sometimes preceded by laughter, hence its common name, laughing gas. The principal use of nitrous oxide is as an anesthetic in medical and dental procedures of short duration. The gas is also used as a propellant in food aerosols, and as an accelerant in engines.