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sulfate

American  
[suhl-feyt] / ˈsʌl feɪt /

noun

sulfates plural
  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 Scientific  
/ sŭlfāt′ /
  1. A salt or ester of sulfuric acid, containing the group SO 4.


Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of sulfate

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

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:

A new study published in Nature Communications reports the detection of an iron sulfate on Mars that may represent a previously unknown mineral.

From Science Daily Mar. 10, 2026

It will reportedly be the first factory in Africa to refine lithium concentrate into lithium sulfate -- a powdered form that is one step closer to the product used in batteries.

From Barron's Feb. 26, 2026

The findings were published in Science Signaling in a paper titled "Leukocytes have a heparan sulfate glycocalyx that regulates recruitment during psoriasis-like skin inflammation."

From Science Daily Feb. 25, 2026

"We also detected the production of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, which are molecules in the nervous system that respond to injury and disease."

From Science Daily Feb. 16, 2026

The treatment is bed rest, which he desperately needs anyway, injections of zinc sulfate, and quinine tablets.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

Additional deposits could remain buried under layers of monohydrated sulfates.

From Science Daily Mar. 10, 2026

In one chaos terrain that formed within an ancient impact crater, the uppermost layers contain polyhydrated sulfates.

From Science Daily Mar. 10, 2026

Polyhydrated and monohydrated sulfates appear across large areas of the region.

From Science Daily Mar. 10, 2026

The team found preserved biosignatures, including calcium and sodium sulfates.

From Science Daily Nov. 18, 2024

In general, the sulfur must come in the form of sulfates and the nitrogen in the form of nitrates; although many plants can make use of ammonia for protein-formation.

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Thatcher, Roscoe Wilfred

And even if your diploma is written in Latin it is likely to be made of sulfated cellulose.

From Creative Chemistry Descriptive of Recent Achievements in the Chemical Industries by Slosson, Edwin E.

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