phosphate
Americannoun
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Chemistry.
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(loosely) a salt or ester of phosphoric acid.
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a tertiary salt of orthophosphoric acid, as sodium phosphate.
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Agriculture. a fertilizing material containing compounds of phosphorus.
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a carbonated drink of water and fruit syrup containing a little phosphoric acid.
noun
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any salt or ester of any phosphoric acid, esp a salt of orthophosphoric acid
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(often plural) any of several chemical fertilizers containing phosphorous compounds
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of phosphate
Vocabulary lists containing phosphate
Pacific Islands - Introductory
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Pacific Islands - Middle School and High School
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Spelling Practice 2, Unit 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The shock has wreaked havoc with Florida-based Mosaic, the dominant publicly listed phosphate producer.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
At the time, Costco explained in a statement that it uses sodium phosphate and carrageenan “to support moisture retention, texture, and product consistency during cooking,” adding that both preservatives are “approved by food safety authorities.”
From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026
The shortage of sulfur and its still-high price are keeping phosphate “at a level out of reach for most of the world’s farmers,” Maxwell said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026
Natural England accepts that a larger share of phosphate pollution is caused by farming.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
Everything I knew about nucleic-acid chemistry indicated that phosphate groups never contained bound hydrogen atoms.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
Excess levels of phosphates led the Somerset Levels and Moors to be officially designated as having "unfavourable declining" status in 2021.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
Saudi Arabia has directed Maaden to expand production of phosphates, gold and aluminum, with plans to invest $110 billion over the next decade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
Other relief being sought includes dropping long-standing duties on countries that export fertilizer products to the U.S., such as Morocco, a supplier of phosphates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 29, 2026
The territory is rich in phosphates and home to lucrative fishing grounds.
From Barron's ● Nov. 18, 2025
The second major group of insecticides, the alkyl or organic phosphates, are among the most poisonous chemicals in the world.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
