Jump To:

• ph
  ph

  phot; phots.
• pH
  pH

  the symbol for the logarithm of the reciprocal of hydrogen ion concentration in gram atoms per liter, used to express the acidity or alkalinity of a solution on a scale of 0 to 14, where less than 7 represents acidity, 7 neutrality, and more than 7 alkalinity.
• Ph
  Ph

  abbreviation

  phenyl.
• ph.
  ph.

  abbreviation

  phase.
• P.H.
  P.H.

  abbreviation

  Public Health.

ph

¹ American  

Optics.

1. phot; phots.

---

pH ² American  

Chemistry.

1. the symbol for the logarithm of the reciprocal of hydrogen ion concentration in gram atoms per liter, used to express the acidity or alkalinity of a solution on a scale of 0 to 14, where less than 7 represents acidity, 7 neutrality, and more than 7 alkalinity.

---

Ph ³ American  

abbreviation

Chemistry.

1. phenyl.

---

ph. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. phase.

2. phone.

---

P.H. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. Public Health.

---

ph ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. Philippines

---

pH ² British  

noun

1. potential of hydrogen; a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution equal to the common logarithm of the reciprocal of the concentration of hydrogen ions in moles per cubic decimetre of solution. Pure water has a pH of 7, acid solutions have a pH less than 7, and alkaline solutions a pH greater than 7

---

ph. ³ British  

abbreviation

1. phase

---

Ph ⁴ British  

symbol

1. phenyl group or radical

---

pH Scientific  

/ pē′āch′ /

1. A numerical measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, usually measured on a scale of 0 to 14. Neutral solutions (such as pure water) have a pH of 7, acidic solutions have a pH lower than 7, and alkaline solutions have a pH higher than 7. The pH of lemon juice is 2.4; that of household ammonia is 11.5. The normal pH for human blood is 7.4.

2. ◆ The letters pH stand for potential of hydrogen, since pH is effectively a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions (that is, protons) in a substance. The pH scale was devised in 1923 by Danish biochemist Søren Peter Lauritz Sørensen (1868–1969).

---

pH Cultural  

1. In chemistry, a measure of the strength of an acid or a base. A neutral solution has a pH of 7; acids a pH between 0 and 7; bases a pH from 7 to 14. Specially treated strips of paper (see litmus), or more precise instruments, may be used to measure pH.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ph pH Ph ph. P.H.

Such absurdities as having f, ff, gh and ph represent one single sound would be eliminated.

From Time Magazine Archive

Having been raised with a language that contains such combinations as "rhythm," "syzygy" and "gnathic," and in which gh, ph and ff can all sound alike, I don't see what the fuss is about.

From Time Magazine Archive

Mom talks to Carol, the receptionist explains something on the ph one, and Jason’s mother and Mrs. Frost discuss good restaurants that accommodate wheelchairs.

From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord

The section of the pharynx, ph, is here crescentic in outline, and the pharyngeal walls, especially the floor, are somewhat thicker than in the more anterior section just described.

From Development of the Digestive Canal of the American Alligator by C. M. Reese

At the same time the pharynx, ph, and the wide anterior end of the oesophagus, oe, are cut open, exposing the glottis, gs, and vocal cords, vc.

From Development of the Digestive Canal of the American Alligator by C. M. Reese

Hudson needed water flushed through each eye to correct their pH balance, and Jodanna, from Bridgend, said it was "horrendous as a parent to watch him go through that".

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

By manipulating each tank's temperature and pH levels, scientists can simulate future heatwaves and induce coral bleaching to see how fish and other organisms adapt.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

Tooth enamel can begin to dissolve when the mouth's pH falls below about 5.5.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026

Regular unsweetened sparkling water caused a temporary decline in salivary pH after 2 minutes.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026

As Mrs. Turton explained the lab—observe pond water and tap water, and test pH of each—Justin and I looked at each other.

From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin

"The lichens that live on the granite need this acidic environment to exist and the paint has basically changed the Ph and chemistry of the rock."

From BBC ● May 4, 2022

Even the rain water that lands on the maintenance is harvested, and put through a sulfur burner if the Ph is too acidic.

From Golf Digest ● Oct. 16, 2013

Photograph: Ph: Zade Rosenthal The runaway success of Avengers Assemble helped Cineworld almost double pre-tax profits to £13.4m in the first half of 2012, despite an almost 12% year-on-year fall in cinema advertising.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 16, 2012

Exceptions: Some, as Ph and Zn, will not alloy with one another.

From An Introduction to Chemical Science by Rufus Phillips Williams

Ph and th are conventional modes of spelling simple single sounds, which might better be expressed by simple single signs.

From A Handbook of the English Language by R. G. (Robert Gordon) Latham

VANIR, beautiful; with the L. venustus and Venus, and ph. with the E. wench.

From The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson by Saemund Sigfusson

Fig. 94.—A, cross-section of the stem of the shepherd’s-purse, including a fibro-vascular bundle, × 150. ep. epidermis. m, ground tissue. sh. bundle sheath. ph. phloem. xy. xylem. tr. a vessel.

From Elements of Structural and Systematic Botany For High Schools and Elementary College Courses by Douglas Houghton Campbell

THROR, ph. from v. throa, to increase, to amplify.

From The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson by Saemund Sigfusson

M, cross-section of the root, × 25. x, wood. ph. bast, of the fibro-vascular bundle.

From Elements of Structural and Systematic Botany For High Schools and Elementary College Courses by Douglas Houghton Campbell

This experiment was repeated with the tinct. tolutanæ, ph. ed. and with sp, vinos. camp. and the result was entirely the same.

From Experiments and Observations on Different Kinds of Air by Joseph Priestley

The statement identifies the man who was arrested as P.H., a Canadian; Vincenzo Leo, the duty officer of the local Italian police, confirmed it was Mr. Haggis.

From New York Times ● Jun. 19, 2022

When you sleep with an open mouth, you’re changing the P.H. in your mouth and making it more acidic, which it becomes a breeding ground for bad breath and cavities.

From Slate ● Mar. 21, 2021

“The situation is grim, especially in the coastal parts of Kerala, given the continuous rains,” P.H.

From Reuters ● Aug. 9, 2018

She had complications from a cardiac procedure, said her husband, P.H.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 23, 2017

The first had seen service in the Second Michigan as captain and major, under Colonels Gordon Granger and P.H.

From Personal Recollections of a Cavalryman With Custer's Michigan Cavalry Brigade in the Civil War by James Harvey Kidd