calcium phosphate

noun

Definition of calcium phosphate

: any of various phosphates of calcium: such as
a : the phosphate CaH4P2O8 used as a fertilizer and in baking powder
b : the phosphate CaHPO4 used in pharmaceutical preparations and animal feeds
c : the phosphate Ca3P2O8 used as a fertilizer
d : the naturally occurring phosphate Ca5(F,Cl,OH,¹/₂CO3)(PO4)3 that contains other elements or radicals and is the chief constituent of phosphate rock, bones, and teeth

Examples of calcium phosphate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But these fish bits are made of more resilient calcium phosphate. Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, "Dinosaur-killing impact + volcanoes kept the Earth hot for 100,000 years," 26 May 2018 According to a paper published in the journal PLOS ONE that documented the find, analysis showed that the stones consist, in part, of the mineral whitlockite—an unusual form of calcium phosphate commonly found in prostatic stones. Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "These 12,000-Year-Old Prostate Stones Likely Led to One Prehistoric Man’s Painful Death," 3 Feb. 2017 When conditions are right, the soft tissues of a dead animal can quickly be replaced with the mineral calcium phosphate. Colin Dickey, New Republic, "When Squid Ruled the Earth," 21 Sep. 2017 If it’s not washed away by brushing and flossing, the calcium phosphate in saliva solidifies, depositing layer after layer of calculus where the teeth meet the gums. Andrew Ozga, National Geographic, "Tooth Plaque May Hold Clues About Ancient Life," 16 Mar. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'calcium phosphate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of calcium phosphate

1863, in the meaning defined above

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More Definitions for calcium phosphate

calcium phosphate

noun

Medical Definition of calcium phosphate

: any of various phosphates of calcium: as
a : the phosphate CaHPO4 used in pharmaceutical preparations and animal feeds
b : a naturally occurring phosphate of calcium Ca5(F,Cl,OH,¹/₂CO3)(PO4)3 that contains other elements or radicals and is the chief constituent of bones and teeth