phosphate rock
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of phosphate rock
First recorded in 1865–70
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.
The processing of phosphate rock into fertiliser emits toxic gases such as sulphur dioxide and ammonia.
From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025
Phosphorus predominantly comes from mining phosphate rock sources, of which there are only a relatively small number of sources located in countries like Morocco and Russia.
From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2024
Phosphate fertilizer is made from phosphate rock — a non-renewable resource which is rapidly depleting through agricultural use.
From Salon • Feb. 23, 2023
Fertilizers are made from phosphate rock that contains naturally occurring uranium and thorium, which decay to radium, and radium decays to the radioactive gas radon, the Environmental Protection Agency says.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 27, 2022
Phosphorus is obtained from bone ash and from phosphate rock which is widely distributed over the surface of the earth.
From General Science by Clark, Bertha M.
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.
