phosphorus

Definitions  ·  Examples  ·  Pronunciations  ·  Etymologies  ·  Related  ·  Statistics  ·  Comments (2)  · 

View all »Definitions (25)

American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. noun A highly reactive, poisonous, nonmetallic element occurring naturally in phosphates, especially apatite, and existing in three allotropic forms, white (or sometimes yellow), red, and black. An essential constituent of protoplasm, it is used in safety matches, pyrotechnics, incendiary shells, and fertilizers and to protect metal surfaces from corrosion. Atomic number 15; atomic weight 30.9738; melting point (white) 44.1°C; boiling point 280°C; specific gravity (white) 1.82; valence 3, 5. See Table at element.
  2. noun A phosphorescent substance.

View all » Examples

  • He had been in bed only four hours when his node buzzed. —  Analog Science Fiction and Fact
  • Dr Muku's arms flailed at Senjin as the phosphorus-impregnated cigarette burned ever more deeply into his eye socket. —  The White Ninja
  • "But I'm still unwilling to put the two of you into a combat situation. —  Analog Science Fiction and Fact
  • Another method of separating and determining the phosphorus is as follows: -- Take 1 gram of the substance and add to it 15 c.c. of hot aqua regia. —  A Text-book of Assaying: For the Use of Those Connected with Mines.
  • Had she made the right choice? —  The Man From High Mountain
 

Stats

Phosphorus has been looked up 348 times, favorited 0 times, listed 12 times, commented on twice, and has a Scrabble score of 20.

On Twitter

Photos from

spinner

View all »Etymologies (3)

American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Latin Phōsphorus, morning star, from Greek phōsphoros, bringing light, morning star : phōs, light; see bhā-1 in Indo-European roots + -phoros, -phorous.

WordNet

 

Record your own »
Pronunciations

/ (fŏsˈfər-əs)/
ahd pronounces "phosphorus"
by American Heritage Dictionary

Charts

Occurrences of the word "phosphorus" per million words:

Chart?cht=lc&chs=300x180&chg=14

Recent Lookups

ouvre · falsifiability · sleep terror disorder · morlock · pavement · worm cordiform map · barn-owl · next-generation · protein-laden · Faithful

Recent Favorites

pschutt · pschent · ambsace · equilarcenous · myopic · thief-tube · puggard · hangwite · litherly · dowf

Recent Pronunciations

syboleth · plesiosaurus · Gdansk · jerkinhead · you're something of a hotdog, aren't you · wobble-om-metry · hypermiling · gendarmes · compost · pronounced limp