phosphorous

[ fos-fer-uhs, fos-fawr-uhs, -fohr- ]

/ ˈfɒs fər əs, fɒsˈfɔr əs, -ˈfoʊr- /

Save This Word!

adjective Chemistry.

containing trivalent phosphorus.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of phosphorous

First recorded in 1770–80; phosphor- + -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM phosphorous

non·phos·pho·rous, adjective

Words nearby phosphorous

phosphorism, phosphorite, phosphorize, phosphoro-, phosphoroscope, phosphorous, phosphorous acid, phosphorus, phosphorus 32, phosphorus pentoxide, phosphorus sesquisulfide

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use phosphorous in a sentence

Different electrolytes include sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, and chloride.
Best electrolyte drinks to keep you hydrated|Ashley Hubbard|October 13, 2021|Popular-Science
Or, state regulators said, the power company could pay an annual fee — $17 per pound of nitrogen and $270 per pound of phosphorous — totaling $172 million per year.
New 50-year Conowingo Dam license gets federal approval|Christine Condon|March 31, 2021|Washington Post
That was especially true for enzymes involved in the microbes’ use of important nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen, or phosphorous.
Polluting microplastics harm both animals and ecosystems|Alison Pearce Stevens|November 3, 2020|Science News For Students
The urine still leaves the Reclaimer carrying too much nitrogen and phosphorous.
A dirty and growing problem: Too few toilets|Stephanie Parker|September 24, 2020|Science News For Students

So when plants get NPK for free from fertilizers, they pump out far fewer exudates, and mycorrhizal fungi dial down mineral and phosphorous deliveries to almost nothing.
Junk Food Is Bad For Plants, Too - Issue 90: Something Green|Anne Biklé & David R. Montgomery|September 23, 2020|Nautilus
Chemical weapons are worse than phosphorous bombs, presumably, but mainly to bystanders.
The Obama Doctrine on Syria: Re-Opening the Diplomatic Window|Bernard Avishai|September 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Urban landscapes had been devastated by napalm and white phosphorous; two major Japanese cities had been leveled by atomic bombs.
The O Word: Christopher Dickey on What Occupation Means Today|Christopher Dickey|December 6, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Selenophene was prepared from sodium succinate and phosphorous triselenide, or by conducting ethylselenide through hot tubes.
Synthesis of 2-methyl-4-selenoquinazolone, 2-phenylbenzoselenazole, and its derivatives|Y-Gwan Chen
Jerry gave the kite cord a yank, and the phosphorous-covered figure swayed weirdly high in the air.
The Motor Boys in the Clouds|Clarence Young
We use black light almost exclusively or activated phosphorous such as on the sheaths of the nerve cables.
The Brain|Alexander Blade
He had been brilliant to me before that, but the brilliance of phosphorous compared to sunlight now.
The Hive|Will Levington Comfort
The phosphorous pentafluoride rains out when the weather gets cold.
Uller Uprising|Henry Beam Piper, John D. Clark and John F. Carr

British Dictionary definitions for phosphorous

phosphorous

/ (ˈfɒsfərəs) /

adjective

of or containing phosphorus in the trivalent state

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