phosphate

[ fos-feyt ]

noun

1. Chemistry.
   1. (loosely) a salt or ester of phosphoric acid.
   2. a tertiary salt of orthophosphoric acid, as sodium phosphate.
2. Agriculture. a fertilizing material containing compounds of phosphorus.
3. a carbonated drink of water and fruit syrup containing a little phosphoric acid.

phosphate

/ fɒsˈfætɪk; ˈfɒsfeɪt /

noun

1. any salt or ester of any phosphoric acid, esp a salt of orthophosphoric acid
2. often plural any of several chemical fertilizers containing phosphorous compounds

phosphate

/ fŏs′fāt′ /

1. A salt or ester of phosphoric acid, containing the group PO 4 . Phosphates are important in metabolism and are frequently used in fertilizers.

Derived Forms

• phosphatic, adjective

Other Words From

• sub·phosphate noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of phosphate¹

First recorded in 1785–95; phosph- + -ate ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of phosphate¹

C18: from French phosphat; see phosphorus , -ate ¹

Example Sentences

They discovered a biochemical phenomenon called reversible protein phosphorylation, in which a natural process adds or removes phosphates in cell proteins.

From Washington Post

Kalion’s first target is phosphates, because of their immediate commercial applications.

From MIT Technology Review

Glucaric acid does the same work as phosphates without feeding those toxic blooms.

From MIT Technology Review

Water treatment plants, for example, have long relied on phosphates to prevent corrosion in pipes and to bind with metals like lead and copper so they don’t leach into the water supply.

From MIT Technology Review

Each strand has a backbone of sugars and phosphate molecules.

From Science News For Students

Until a year ago, phosphate mining had left gashes up to dozens of meters deep here.

From The Daily Beast

The usual forms are: (a) Ammoniomagnesium phosphate crystals; (b) acid calcium phosphate crystals; and (c) amorphous phosphates.

From Project Gutenberg

When rapidly deposited, as by artificial precipitation, triple phosphate often takes feathery, star- or leaf-like forms.

From Project Gutenberg

The sediment usually contains abundant amorphous phosphates and crystals of triple phosphate and ammonium urate.

From Project Gutenberg

And phosphate of lime is also taken up by water containing carbonic acid, or even common salt in solution.

From Project Gutenberg

In general, bones may be said to contain about half their weight of phosphate of lime, and 10 or 12 per cent of water.

From Project Gutenberg