phosphorus

CEFRB2

/ˈfɒs.fə.ɹəs/

noun

Türkçe translations

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In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A chemical element used in fertilizers, matches, and living cells.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A name sometimes used for Hesperus, the personification in Greek mythology of the planet Venus.

Examples

  • Hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, sulfur and selenium are nonmetals.

  • Phosphorus provides nourishment for cyanobacteria (blue algae) which multiply and release toxins.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. Any substance exhibiting phosphorescence; a phosphor.

  2. A chemical element (symbol P) with an atomic number of 15, that exists in several allotropic forms.

More examples

In context

  • For quotations using this term, see Citations:phosphorus.

  • Near-synonyms: evening star, evenstar, Hesperus, Vesper, Venus

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The element blank glows in the dark and is used in safety matches.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

Borrowed from Latin phōsphorus, from Ancient Greek φωσφόρος (phōsphóros, “the bearer of light”), from φῶς (phôs, “light”) + φέρω (phérō, “to bear, carry”).