Word
phosphorus
Phoneticsphos·pho·rus
US/ˈfɑsfɝəs/
UK/fˈɒsfɔːɹəs/
Definitions
01chemical element
n. a chemical element that is important for plants and animals to grow; it is also used to make matches and fertilizers.
n. a nonmetallic chemical element of the nitrogen family that is essential for biological processes and widely used in industrial applications.
“Farmers add phosphorus to the soil to help their crops grow stronger.”
“White phosphorus is highly reactive and spontaneously ignites upon exposure to air, necessitating storage under water or an inert atmosphere.”
Technical
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the element itself; countable when referring to specific allotropic forms or chemical varieties.
Synonyms
02glowing substance
n. any substance that glows in the dark after being exposed to light.
n. any substance exhibiting phosphorescence; a phosphor.
“The old scientist studied a piece of phosphorus that glowed with a faint green light.”
“In early chemical texts, the term phosphorus was applied broadly to various materials that emitted light without heat.”
Archaic · Technical
Teaching tip
In modern English, 'phosphor' is the standard term for substances that glow in electronics; 'phosphorus' is reserved for the specific element.
Synonyms
03the morning star
n. an ancient name for the planet Venus when it appears in the sky before the sun rises.
n. the personification of the morning star in Greek mythology; the planet Venus appearing in the eastern sky before sunrise.
“The poet looked up at Phosphorus shining brightly in the early morning sky.”
“Classical literature often contrasts Phosphorus, the bringer of light, with Hesperus, the star of the evening.”
Literary · Archaic
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Pesticides and fertilizers go together in avocado production, so we believe the pesticide reduction made each extra unit of fertilizer less worthwhile, leading growers to apply less nitrogen and phosphorus.” “An algal bloom caused by eutrophication, when an ecosystem is overloaded with nutrients like phosphorus.” “The United States could exhaust its domestic phosphorus supply within 40 years.” Etymology
From Latinised Greek Phosphorus, from Ancient Greek Φωσφόρος (Phōsphóros, “the bearer of light”), from φῶς (phôs, “light”) + φέρω (phérō, “I bear, carry”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
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Scan code
englishreference.com/q/phosphorus