sulfate

[suhl-feyt]

noun

1. Chemistry.,  a salt or ester of sulfuric acid.

verb (used with object)

sulfated, sulfating 

1. to combine, treat, or impregnate with sulfuric acid, a sulfate, or sulfates.

2. to convert into a sulfate.

3. Electricity.,  to form a deposit of lead-sulfate compound on (the lead electrodes of a storage battery).

verb (used without object)

sulfated, sulfating 

1. to become sulfated.

sulfate

1. A salt or ester of sulfuric acid, containing the group SO ₄.

Other Word Forms

• sulfation noun
• supersulfate noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sulfate¹

From the New Latin word sulphātum, dating back to 1780–90. See sulfur, -ate ²

Example Sentences

Tiny particles in ship exhaust, especially sulfate aerosols, play a major role in how clouds form and how bright they become.

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Growing even modest quantities of mycoprotein requires significant inputs, and the spores must be cultivated in large metal tanks filled with sugar-rich feedstock and added nutrients such as ammonium sulfate.

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Sulfur can exist as a gas in the atmosphere, as sulfate dissolved in seawater, or locked within mineral deposits.

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Most climate models studying SAI assume the use of sulfate aerosols, similar to the compounds produced by volcanic eruptions.

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Some chemical compounds, like copper sulfate, are allowed to help control plant diseases, but need to be used in a way that minimizes their accumulation on soil and avoids leaving residues on crops.

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