See also: Phosphate and phosphaté

English edit

 
phosphate group 2D structural formula
 
phosphate ion 3D structural formula

Etymology edit

From French phosphate. By surface analysis, phosph(orus) +‎ -ate (salt or ester of an acid)

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

phosphate (plural phosphates)

  1. (chemistry) Any salt or ester of phosphoric acid.
  2. (agriculture) Any fertiliser containing phosphate compounds.
  3. Guano (containing high levels of phosphates and harvested for the fertiliser industry).
  4. (US, regional, dated) A carbonated soft drink containing phosphoric acid, often flavored with a fruit-based syrup.
    • 1920, Irving P. Fox, The Spatula, page 27:
      An egg phosphate is a phosphate to which an egg has been added in the proper manner. While an egg phosphate can be flavored with any syrup that makes a good phosphate, still the standard flavor by long usage has com to be orange []
    • 2002, Michael Raleigh, In the castle of the Flynns, page 180:
      “This man here,” she said, “can make you a cherry Coke or a chocolate Coke or a phosphate — a chocolate phosphate or. “Vanilla phosphate,” the man helped, “cherry phosphate, orange phosphate, lime phosphate, lemon phosphate,
    • 2008, Kathryn Kysar, Riding shotgun: women write about their mothers, page 106:
      You order California burgers for us both, even though I don't eat lettuce or tomato, then you order me a phosphate, cherry, a dreadful fizzy drink you say you always loved. It's bitter, bubbly, unbearable; but, thirsty for your past, force myself to drink it.

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

Verb edit

phosphate (third-person singular simple present phosphates, present participle phosphating, simple past and past participle phosphated)

  1. To treat or coat with a phosphate or with phosphoric acid

Translations edit

French edit

Etymology edit

From phosphore +‎ -ate.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

phosphate m (plural phosphates)

  1. phosphate

Descendants edit

  • English: phosphate
  • Portuguese: fosfato

Further reading edit