phthalate

American

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

noun

Chemistry.

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.

phthalate British

/ ˈθælɪt, ˈfθæl- /

noun

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

"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

phthalate Scientific

/ thăl′āt′,fthăl′- /

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.

Etymology

Origin of phthalate

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

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.

See Examples For:

phthalate

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 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 lab report shows low levels of the chemical dibutyl phthalate, which is not linked to cancer in humans but can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, irritation of the eyes and throat, and seizures.

From Salon ● Feb. 21, 2023

The researchers found that "childhood phthalate exposure was strongly associated with incidence of osteosarcoma" and identified correlations with other cancers like lymphoma "driven by associations with Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but not Burkitt lymphoma."

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 P. Gerald (Percy Gerald) Sanford

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