phosphate
noun/ˈfɒsfeɪt/
/ˈfɑːsfeɪt/
[countable, uncountable] (chemistry)- any compound containing phosphorus, used in industry or for helping plants to grow
- phosphate-free washing powder
- the use of nitrates and phosphates to fertilize the soil
Oxford Collocations DictionaryPhosphate is used before these nouns:- fertilizer
Word Originlate 18th cent.: from French, from phosphore ‘phosphorus’.Definitions on the go
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phosphate