sulphate

/ ˈsʌlfeɪt /

noun

1. any salt or ester of sulphuric acid, such as sodium sulphate, Na 2 SO 4 , sodium hydrogen sulphate, or diethyl sulphate, (C 2 H 5 ) 2 SO 4

2. Often shortened to: sulph. slang,  amphetamine sulphate

verb

1. (tr) to treat with a sulphate or convert into a sulphate

2. to undergo or cause to undergo the formation of a layer of lead sulphate on the plates of an accumulator

Other Word Forms

• sulphation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sulphate¹

C18: from New Latin sulfātum; see _sulphur

Example Sentences

The town's rapid industrial growth in the 1980s led to hazardous waste build-up, contaminated water and soil with mercury, arsenic and sulphates.

Read more on BBC

Because sulphate aerosols only last a couple of years in the atmosphere compared to the decades that carbon dioxide lasts, stratospheric aerosol injection is only seen as a short-term method.

Read more on BBC

They identified geochemical "fingerprints" of various microorganisms, including those that must have used sunlight for energy, metabolised sulphate and probably also produced methane.

Read more on Science Daily

Further investigations traced this back to a phase of strong methane formation by microorganisms known as archaea in water with a low sulphate content.

Read more on Science Daily

Once polluted regions in India or the Middle East improve their air quality by abandoning fossil fuels and transitioning to green energy sources, they too will lose their shield of sulphates, scientists said.

Read more on Reuters