phos·pho·rus
| \ ˈfäs-f(ə-)rəs
\
\
Definition of phosphorus
2
or less commonly phosphorous \ ˈfäs-f(ə-)rəs
\
: a nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family with atomic number 15 that occurs widely in combination especially as phosphates, that is essential for life in all known organisms, and that is used especially in fertilizers and organophosphorus compounds — see Chemical Elements Table
\
: a nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family with atomic number 15 that occurs widely in combination especially as phosphates, that is essential for life in all known organisms, and that is used especially in fertilizers and organophosphorus compounds — see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of phosphorus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The scum spreads from the Maumee River, which dumps the majority of phosphorus that causes the blooms each year. — Laura Johnston, cleveland.com, "Columbia Road Beach closed because of harmful algal bloom," 23 Aug. 2019 The river now has three times the amount of nitrogen than in the 1950s, Rabalais said, and the amount of phosphorus has doubled. — Jen Christensen, CNN, "The Gulf dead zone was expected to be a record-breaker. A hurricane may have stopped it," 1 Aug. 2019 Runoff from farms and storm water and septic system failures over the years are blamed for contributing to the increase in phosphorus in the lake, leading to the algae blooms. — USA TODAY, "Moon rocks, Misty of Chincoteague, Haiku Stairs: News from around our 50 states," 28 June 2019 Excessive phosphorous can interfere with calcium uptake, so be cautious about using fertilizers high in phosphorus (the middle number in the analysis). — Dan Gill, nola.com, "Protect tomatoes from these diseases and pests," 13 Apr. 2019 Add a handful of bonemeal if your soil is low in phosphorus. — The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "How to Grow the Most Pie-Worthy Rhubarb Ever," 30 May 2018 The runoff contains large quantities of nitrogen and phosphorus that stimulate the growth of phytoplankton in the water. — Jen Christensen, CNN, "The Gulf dead zone was expected to be a record-breaker. A hurricane may have stopped it," 1 Aug. 2019 Seagrass thrives on a ratio of high nitrogen and low phosphorus. — Jenny Staletovich, sun-sentinel.com, "New Study Says Everglades Water Is Harming Keys Corals. Not Everyone Agrees.," 28 July 2019 Algae blooms, like the kind proliferating in Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana and off the Gulf coast of Mississippi, are typically caused when nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural fertilizer and animal manure runs off land and into water. — Zoë Schlanger, Quartz, "Tropical Storm Barry could make a bad algae bloom worse," 13 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phosphorus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for phosphorus
phosphorus
noun
English Language Learners Definition of phosphorus
chemistry
: a poisonous chemical element that glows in the dark and burns when it is touched by air
See the full definition for phosphorus in the English Language Learners Dictionary
phosphorus
noun
phos·pho·rus
| \ ˈfäs-fə-rəs
\
\
Kids Definition of phosphorus
: a white or yellowish waxy chemical element that gives a faint glow in moist air
phos·pho·rus
| \ ˈfäs-f(ə-)rəs
\
\
Medical Definition of phosphorus
: a nonmetallic multivalent element that occurs widely in combined form especially as inorganic phosphates in minerals, soils, natural waters, bones, and teeth and as organic phosphates in all living cells and that exists in several allotropic forms
—symbol P
— see Chemical Elements Table
Keep scrolling for more