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phosphorous

[ fos-fer-uhs, fos-fawr-uhs, -fohr- ]
/ ˈfɒs fər əs, fɒsˈfɔr əs, -ˈfoʊr- /
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adjective Chemistry.
containing trivalent phosphorus.
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Origin of phosphorous

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

OTHER WORDS FROM phosphorous

non·phos·pho·rous, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use phosphorous in a sentence

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
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