sulfur
Americannoun
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sulfurs
plural
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Chemistry. Also a nonmetallic element that exists in several forms, the ordinary one being a yellow rhombic crystalline solid, and that burns with a blue flame and a suffocating odor: used especially in making gunpowder and matches, in medicine, in vulcanizing rubber, etc. S; 32.064; 16; 2.07 at 20° C.
noun
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A pale-yellow, brittle nonmetallic element that occurs widely in nature, especially in volcanic deposits, minerals, natural gas, and petroleum. It is used to make gunpowder and fertilizer, to vulcanize rubber, and to produce sulfuric acid. Atomic number 16; atomic weight 32.066; melting point (rhombic) 112.8°C; (monoclinic) 119.0°C; boiling point 444.6°C; specific gravity (rhombic) 2.07; (monoclinic) 1.957; valence 2, 4, 6.
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See Periodic Table
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sulfur
1300–50; Middle English sulphur < Latin sulpur, sulphur, sulfur brimstone, sulfur
Vocabulary lists containing sulfur
Rocks and Minerals - Middle School and High School
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Common Chemical Elements
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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.
China’s continued uptake of sulfur while banning fertilizer exports has contributed to a doubling of sulfur prices this year alone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
The agency also refused to assign any benefits to the reduction of pollutants like nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide.
From Slate ● Aug. 2, 2026
If the Strait of Hormuz remains impaired and China continues restricting phosphate exports, nitrogen producers with secure, low-cost inputs should remain better positioned than phosphate producers dependent on imported sulfur.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
Burning natural gas also causes significant air pollution in the form of nitric oxides, sulfur, mercury and particulates, while hydraulic fracturing or "fracking," can contaminate ground water supplies.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
The air was thick with smoke and the sulfur stench was choking.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
