phosphate

American  

[fos-fayt] / ˈfɒs feɪt /

noun

• phosphates
  plural

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.

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phosphate British  

/ 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

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phosphate Scientific  

/ 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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subphosphate
  noun
• phosphatic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• phosphates
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of phosphate

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

phosphate phosphates

Production of its key input, sulfur, is concentrated in the Persian Gulf, and phosphate producers are struggling to compete for supplies against copper miners, who also use it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

China’s restrictions on phosphate exports have also kept shipments of certain products at 50% to 80% of normal levels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

The researchers found that radial glia depend heavily on the pentose phosphate pathway, a metabolic process that uses glucose to make materials needed by cells that are dividing rapidly.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

"Marine phosphate mining at this scale has never been conducted anywhere in the world," it said after the certificate was issued.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

Thus if the crux of the problem was to deduce an unusually clever arrangement of inorganic ions and phosphate groups, we were clearly at a disadvantage.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

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

According to the United Nations around a third of the world's fertilisers - such as urea, potash, ammonia and phosphates - normally pass through the Hormuz Strait.

From BBC ● Mar. 29, 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

However, as her X-ray images improved, she gradually began to envision the helix with the phosphates on the outside, as indicated by her notes.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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