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sulfate

American  
[suhl-fayt] / 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  
/ sŭl′fāt′ /
  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:

These veins contain minerals including calcium sulfate and fluorite.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

As the eruption eventually begins to weaken, sulphur dioxide high in the atmosphere forms sunlight-reflecting sulfate aerosols that spread around the northern hemisphere to influence the world’s climate for several years.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

In the past, diesel fuel was poured around the bases of the trees, and grounds staff said last month that they suspected copper sulfate was dumped into the holes drilled near the roots.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

The ban sent mining firms scrambling to build plants to process lithium sulfate, a step along the value chain towards battery‑grade materials.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 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

The area lies within a layer of Mount Sharp rich in salty minerals known as sulfates.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 14, 2026

Researchers found that heating polyhydrated sulfates to 50°C converts them into monohydrated forms.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 10, 2026

The sulfates observed at Aram Chaos and Juventae, including ferric hydroxysulfate, probably formed more recently than the surrounding terrain.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 10, 2026

As the water evaporated, it left layered deposits of iron and magnesium sulfates that provide evidence of a much wetter Mars in the past.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 10, 2026

The salts are sulfates, phosphates and chlorides of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.

From Common Diseases of Farm Animals by R. A. Craig, D.V.M.

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 Edwin E. Slosson

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