sulphur

¹ American  

[suhl-fer] / ˈsʌl fər /

noun

1. Chiefly British. sulfur.

2. Also yellow with a greenish tinge; lemon color.

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Sulphur ² American  

[suhl-fer] / ˈsʌl fər /

noun

1. a city in SW Louisiana.

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sulphur British  

/ ˈsʌlfə, sʌlˈfjʊərɪk /

noun

1. 1. an allotropic nonmetallic element, occurring free in volcanic regions and in combined state in gypsum, pyrite, and galena. The stable yellow rhombic form converts on heating to monoclinic needles. It is used in the production of sulphuric acid, in the vulcanization of rubber, and in fungicides. Symbol: S; atomic no: 16; atomic wt: 32.066; valency: 2, 4, or 6; relative density: 2.07 (rhombic), 1.957 (monoclinic); melting pt: 115.22°C (rhombic), 119.0°C (monoclinic); boiling pt: 444.674°C

   2. ( as modifier )

      sulphur springs

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Other Word Forms

• sulphuric adjective

Etymology

Origin of sulphur

Variant of sulfur

Example Sentences

Ord Minnett says Lotus’s supplies of acid and sulphur look secure at present, but fuel is more precarious.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Charles Goodyear discovered vulcanization when a mixture of natural rubber and sulphur accidentally fell onto a hot surface.

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2026

At the Chhath festivities too, firecrackers lit up the sky, leaving the air acrid with the smell of burnt sulphur.

From Barron's • Oct. 27, 2025

Prior to 2020, dirty engine oil produced large amounts of sulphur dioxide, a gas harmful to human health.

From BBC • Oct. 17, 2025

A lake of molten sulphur extended the length of an immense canyon, releasing its mephitic vapors in sudden gusts and belches and barring the way of the solitary winged figure who stood at its edge.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman