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Phosphate
//ˈfɑsfeɪt// noun, verb
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any salt or ester of phosphoric acid. countable, uncountable
"Make sure you don’t use detergents with phosphates or nonylphenol ethoxylate surfactants, but that information is rarely available on the labels."
- 2 carbonated drink with fruit syrup and a little phosphoric acid wordnet
- 3 Any fertiliser containing phosphate compounds. countable, uncountable
- 4 a salt of phosphoric acid wordnet
- 5 Guano (containing high levels of phosphates and harvested for the fertiliser industry). countable, uncountable
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- 6 A carbonated soft drink containing phosphoric acid, often flavored with a fruit-based syrup. US, countable, dated, regional, uncountable
"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 […]"
Verb
- 1 To treat or coat with a phosphate or phosphoric acid.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From French phosphate. By surface analysis, phosphoric acid + -ate (“salt or ester”).
Etymology 2
From phosphoric acid + -ate (verb-forming suffix).
See also for "phosphate"
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