calcium phosphate

American  

noun

1. any of several phosphates of calcium occurring naturally in some rocks and in animal bones, used as a fertilizer and food additive as well as in baking powder and dentifrices.

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calcium phosphate British  

noun

1. the insoluble nonacid calcium salt of orthophosphoric acid (phosphoric(V) acid): it occurs in bones and is the main constituent of bone ash. Formula: Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2

2. any calcium salt of a phosphoric acid. Calcium phosphates are found in many rocks and used esp in fertilizers

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calcium phosphate Scientific  

1. Any of three powdery phosphates of calcium:

2. A colorless powder used in baking powders, as a plant food, as a plastic stabilizer, and in glass. Calcium phosphate is deliquescent, and will dissolve in the water it absorbs from the atmosphere if it is not kept in a closed container. Chemical formula: Ca(H ₂ PO ₄ ) ₂ .

3. A white crystalline powder used as an animal food, as a plastic stabilizer, and in glass and toothpaste. Chemical formula: CaHPO ₄ .

4. A white powder that is used in ceramics, rubber, fertilizers, and for various purposes in the food industry. Chemical formula: Ca ₃ (PO ₄ ) ₂ .

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Etymology

Origin of calcium phosphate

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

In food, calcium phosphate is used as a whitening agent.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2025

The FDA is instead encouraging the use of so-called natural food dyes such as gardenia blue and calcium phosphate.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2025

"The skin of the frogs is replicated in the mineral calcium phosphate, which helped it survive for millions of years."

From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2024

Paleontologists are particularly fond of the fossil-building mineral calcium phosphate because it can preserve soft organs in exquisite detail—sometimes all the way down to cell nuclei.

From Scientific American • Nov. 24, 2022

Although long known to consist mainly of calcium phosphate, it was not until 1827 that G. Rose found that fluorine or chlorine is an essential constituent.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 2 "Anjar" to "Apollo" by Various