phosphate

[ fos-feyt ]

noun

1. Chemistry.
   1. (loosely) a salt or ester of phosphoric acid.
   2. a tertiary salt of orthophosphoric acid, as sodium phosphate.
2. Agriculture. a fertilizing material containing compounds of phosphorus.
3. a carbonated drink of water and fruit syrup containing a little phosphoric acid.

phosphate

/ ˈfɒsfeɪt; fɒsˈfætɪk /

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

phosphate

/ fŏs′fāt′ /

1. A salt or ester of phosphoric acid, containing the group PO 4 . Phosphates are important in metabolism and are frequently used in fertilizers.

Derived Forms

• phosphatic, adjective

Other Words From

• sub·phosphate noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of phosphate¹

First recorded in 1785–95; phosph- + -ate ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of phosphate¹

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

Example Sentences

Twenty-two of the state's 25 phosphate waste piles, several owned by industry powerhouse Mosaic, were in Milton's path.

From Salon

All that phosphate reduced N’s ability to bind RNA.

From Salon

“But then a kind of revolution happened about 10 years ago, and we found out that they’ve got little traces of water in them trapped in phosphate crystals.”

From BBC

“But then a kind of revolution happened about 10 years ago, and we found out that they’ve got little traces of water in them trapped in phosphate crystals.”

From BBC

As an example, cells need to take up phosphate to make DNA, but this cannot just cross the fatty membranes that surround all cells.

From Salon