sulfate

[ suhl-feyt ]

/ ˈsʌl feɪt /

noun

Chemistry. a salt or ester of sulfuric acid.

verb (used with object), sul·fat·ed, sul·fat·ing.

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

to convert into a sulfate.

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

verb (used without object), sul·fat·ed, sul·fat·ing.

to become sulfated.

Nearby words

sulfapyridine, sulfarsenide, sulfarsphenamine, sulfasalazine, sulfatase, sulfate, sulfate paper, sulfate process, sulfate pulp, sulfathiazole, sulfatidate

Origin of sulfate

From the New Latin word sulphātum, dating back to 1780–90. See sulfur, -ate²

Related formssul·fa·tion, nounsu·per·sul·fate, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sulfate

It is, however, practicable to have stock preparation of sulfate of copper and of lime ready for mixing when required.
Ginseng and Other Medicinal Plants|A. R. (Arthur Robert) Harding
The operator under such conditions first adds the sulfate of alumina, then the acid, using litmus paper as his indicator.
Soap-Making Manual|E. G. Thomssen
When sulfate of copper and lime are added in this proportion, the compound is Bordeaux mixture.
Ginseng and Other Medicinal Plants|A. R. (Arthur Robert) Harding
The most readily available nitrogen in commercial form is that which is afforded by nitrate of soda and sulfate of ammonia.
The Practical Garden-Book|C. E. Hunn

It must be remembered that the sulfate of alumina is added only for the fresh lye put into the tank.
Soap-Making Manual|E. G. Thomssen

Word Origin and History for sulfate

sulfate

1790 (sulphat), from French sulphate (1787), from Modern Latin sulphatum acidum, from Latin sulpur, sulphur (see sulfur) + chemical ending -ate (3). The spelling with -ph- is standard in Britain.

Medicine definitions for sulfate

sulfate

[ sŭl′fāt′ ]

n.

A salt or ester of sulfuric acid.

The bivalent group SO4.

A chemical compound containing such a group.

v.

To treat or react with sulfuric acid or a sulfate.

To become sulfated.

Science definitions for sulfate

sulfate

[ sŭl′fāt′ ]

A salt or ester of sulfuric acid, containing the group SO4.