Nitroglycerin (NG), also known as nitroglycerine, trinitroglycerin, and glyceryl trinitrate, is a chemical compound. It is a heavy, colorless, oily, explosive liquid obtained by nitrating glycerol. It is used in the manufacture of explosives, specifically dynamite, and as such is employed in the construction and demolition industries, and as a plasticizer in some solid propellants. Nitroglycerin is also used medically as a vasodilator to treat heart conditions; it is a venous dilator that decreases preload.