phosphorus
noun/ˈfɒsfərəs/
/ˈfɑːsfərəs/
[uncountable] (symbol P)
- a chemical element. Phosphorus is found in several different forms, including as a poisonous, pale yellow substance that shines in the dark and starts to burn as soon as it is placed in air.Word Originlate 17th cent.: from Latin, from Greek phōsphoros, from phōs ‘light’ + -phoros ‘-bringing’.
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