phosphatize

American

[fos-fuh-tahyz] / ˈfɒs fəˌtaɪz /

especially British, phosphatise

verb (used with object)

phosphatized, phosphatizing

to treat with phosphates.
to change to phosphate.

phosphatize British

/ ˈfɒsfəˌtaɪz /

verb

(tr) to treat with a phosphate or phosphates, as by applying a fertilizer
to change or be changed into a phosphate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

phosphation noun
phosphatization noun
unphosphatized adjective

Etymology

Origin of phosphatize

First recorded in 1880–85; phosphate + -ize

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.

But he says that just because biofilm bacteria can phosphatize embryos but not , that doesn't mean the fossils formed through this process.

From Science Magazine

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023