sulfurous

[suhl-fyoo r-uh s, suhl-fer-]

adjective

of, relating to, or containing sulfur, especially in the tetravalent state.
of the yellow color of sulfur.
sulphurous(defs 2, 3).

Origin of sulfurous

From the Latin word sulfurōsus, dating back to 1520–30. See sulfur, -ous

Related formssul·fu·rous·ly, adverbsul·fu·rous·ness, nounnon·sul·fur·ous, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for sulfurous

Contemporary Examples of sulfurous

Against this sulfurous backdrop, Democrats and Republicans alike feel compelled to man the ramparts for their core constituencies.
America’s Long-Simmering, Semi-Civil Civil War
Lloyd Green
October 2, 2013
His iconoclasm extends to frank depictions of sex and sulfurous critiques of Arab governments.
Elias Khoury: Profile of the Essential Arab Novelist Today
Jacob Silverman
August 3, 2012
An adamant—often sulfurous—Palinphobia has, for 20 months, been the one constant among liberals in America.
Why Palin Drives Us All Mad
Tunku Varadarajan
March 31, 2010
It was added in minute quantities to hide a sulfurous rotten-egg smell in the wine.
The Great Wine Cover-up
Keith Wallace
August 18, 2009

Historical Examples of sulfurous

Upon him the defiant ruffian turned the forces of his sulfurous hate, full-gush.
From Place to Place
Irvin S. Cobb
Few things are worse than sulfurous speech like the very fumes of hell.
Studies in the Epistle of James
A. T. Robertson
If sulfurous acid is present, it will be oxidized to sulfuric acid and precipitated as barium sulfate by the barium chlorid.
Detection of the Common Food Adulterants
Edwin M. Bruce
If sulfurous acid is present a deep blue color forms at once.
Detection of the Common Food Adulterants
Edwin M. Bruce
If a precipitate forms on the addition of barium chlorid the presence of sulfurous acid is indicated.
Detection of the Common Food Adulterants
Edwin M. Bruce

Word Origin and History for sulfurous

adj.

also sulphurous, 1530s, from Latin sulphurosus or a native formation from sulfur + -ous. Related: Sulfurously; sulphurously.

adj.

also sulfurous, 1520s, "of the nature of brimstone," from sulfur + -ous. Hence figurative use with suggestions of hellfire (c.1600). Scientific chemistry sense is from 1790. Earlier in the "brimstone-like" sense was sulphurious (late 15c.).

sulfurous in Medicine

sulfurous

[sŭl′fər-əs, -fyər-, sŭl-fyur′əs]

adj.

Of, relating to, derived from, or containing sulfur, especially with valence 4.
Characteristic of or emanating from burning sulfur.

sulfurous in Science

sulfurous

[sŭl′fər-əs, sŭl-fyur′əs]

Containing sulfur, especially sulfur with a valence of 4 or 3. Compare sulfuric.
Characteristic of or emanating from burning sulfur.