phthalate

American  

[thal-eyt, fthal-] / ˈθæl eɪt, ˈfθæl- /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a salt or ester of phthalic acid: phthalates are used mainly, and profusely, as plasticizers and solvents, but growing concern over their environmental impact has led to interest in developing biological alternatives.

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phthalate British  

/ ˈfθæl-, ˈθælɪt /

noun

1. a salt or ester of phthalic acid. Esters are commonly used as plasticizers in PVC; when ingested they can cause kidney and liver damage

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phthalate Scientific  

/ thăl′āt′,fthăl′- /

1. Any of a group of esters of phthalic acid, widely used in manufacturing plastics and as a synthetic additive in perfumes and cosmetics, that have been linked to reproductive and hormonal abnormalities in humans and other animals.

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Etymology

Origin of phthalate

First recorded in 1860–65; phthal(ic) ( def. ) + -ate ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Further, phthalate exposure was measured in the pregnant women from just one urine sample in the first trimester, “which may have introduced exposure misclassification,” the paper notes.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026

After controlling for confounding factors such as the mothers’ age, tobacco use, race, and education, they estimated phthalate exposure contributed to more than 56,000 preterm births in the U.S. in 2018.

From Salon • Feb. 9, 2024

After showing that the association persists at age 14, the authors state that "the impact of phthalate exposure on the brain and child cognition continues into adolescence."

From Science Daily • Sep. 20, 2023

The word "phthalate" is ludicrously difficult to spell for something that is absolutely ubiquitous.

From Salon • Mar. 20, 2022

The diamyl phthalate is added, with or without the mineral jelly to nitro-glycerine and nitro-cellulose.

From Nitro-Explosives: A Practical Treatise by Sanford, P. Gerald (Percy Gerald)