phlogiston

American  

[floh-jis-ton, -tuhn] / floʊˈdʒɪs tɒn, -tən /

noun

1. a nonexistent chemical that, prior to the discovery of oxygen, was thought to be released during combustion.

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phlogiston British  

/ -tən, flɒˈdʒɪstɒn /

noun

1. chem a hypothetical substance formerly thought to be present in all combustible materials and to be released during burning

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phlogiston Scientific  

/ flō-jĭs′tən /

1. A hypothetical colorless, odorless, weightless substance once believed to be the combustible part of all flammable substances and to be given off as flame during burning. In the 18th century, Antoine Lavoisier proved that phlogiston does not exist.

2. See Note at Lavoisier

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Etymology

Origin of phlogiston

1720–30; < New Latin: inflammability, noun use of Greek phlogistón, neuter of phlogistós inflammable, burnt up; see phlogistic

Example Sentences

Hence, Charles Darwin is a household name, but few know of Georg Ernst Stahl, promoter of the long-discredited phlogiston theory of chemistry.

From Salon • Aug. 19, 2019

Heliocentrism beats geocentrism, oxidation-reduction chemistry beats phlogiston, Einstein over Newton, plate tectonics, etc.

From Scientific American • Jun. 4, 2017

Chemistry would not have improved much since Lavoisier's youth if chemists were still loosely calling all combustible materials phlogiston.

From Time Magazine Archive

One day we may discover that some of our most cherished forms of knowledge are as obsolete as epicycles, phlogiston, caloric, the electromagnetic aether and, indeed, Newtonian physics.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

"Now," said Priestley, "when a metal burns phlogiston rushes out of it; if I restore this phlogiston to the metallic calx, I shall convert it back into the metal."

From Heroes of Science Chemists by Muir, M. M. Pattison (Matthew Moncrieff Pattison)

Related Words

• blaze
• bonfire
• heat
• inferno