sulphur

¹ American  

[suhl-fer] / ˈsʌl fər /

noun

1. Chiefly British. sulfur.

2. Also yellow with a greenish tinge; lemon color.

---

Sulphur ² American  

[suhl-fer] / ˈsʌl fər /

noun

1. a city in SW Louisiana.

---

sulphur British  

/ ˈsʌlfə, sʌlˈfjʊərɪk /

noun

1. 1. an allotropic nonmetallic element, occurring free in volcanic regions and in combined state in gypsum, pyrite, and galena. The stable yellow rhombic form converts on heating to monoclinic needles. It is used in the production of sulphuric acid, in the vulcanization of rubber, and in fungicides. Symbol: S; atomic no: 16; atomic wt: 32.066; valency: 2, 4, or 6; relative density: 2.07 (rhombic), 1.957 (monoclinic); melting pt: 115.22°C (rhombic), 119.0°C (monoclinic); boiling pt: 444.674°C

   2. ( as modifier )

      sulphur springs

---

Other Word Forms

• sulphuric adjective

Etymology

Origin of sulphur

Variant of sulfur

Example Sentences

In January, authorities attributed elevated sulphur pollution levels in Gauteng to transboundary pollution from neighbouring Mpumalanga, South Africa's most polluted industrial zone.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Ord Minnett says Lotus’s supplies of acid and sulphur look secure at present, but fuel is more precarious.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Charles Goodyear discovered vulcanization when a mixture of natural rubber and sulphur accidentally fell onto a hot surface.

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2026

Its sour, heavy crude is difficult to extract and refine, while its high sulphur content makes it corrosive to pipelines.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026

Simply, there are swamps which contain a large percentage of sulphur and other gas bubbles that burst continually into flame.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman