phosphate

[ fos-feyt ]

noun
  1. Chemistry.

    • (loosely) a salt or ester of phosphoric acid.

    • a tertiary salt of orthophosphoric acid, as sodium phosphate.

  2. Agriculture. a fertilizing material containing compounds of phosphorus.

  1. a carbonated drink of water and fruit syrup containing a little phosphoric acid.

Origin of phosphate

1
First recorded in 1785–95; phosph- + -ate2

Other words from phosphate

  • sub·phos·phate, noun

Words Nearby phosphate

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How to use phosphate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for phosphate

phosphate

/ (ˈfɒsfeɪt) /


noun
  1. any salt or ester of any phosphoric acid, esp a salt of orthophosphoric acid

  2. (often plural) any of several chemical fertilizers containing phosphorous compounds

Origin of phosphate

1
C18: from French phosphat; see phosphorus, -ate 1

Derived forms of phosphate

  • phosphatic (fɒsˈfætɪk), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for phosphate

phosphate

[ fŏsfāt′ ]


  1. A salt or ester of phosphoric acid, containing the group PO4. Phosphates are important in metabolism and are frequently used in fertilizers.

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