sulfur
sulfur Lexical Profile
sulfur Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A pale yellow, nonmetallic chemical element (symbol S, atomic number 16) that occurs widely in nature and is essential for life, used in the manufacture of gunpowder, matches, fertilizers, and sulfuric acid.
"The hot springs emitted a strong smell of sulfur that reminded the visitors of rotten eggs."
• verb
To treat, fumigate, or process with sulfur or a sulfur compound, often done to preserve dried fruits or to control pests and diseases in agriculture.
"The farmers decided to sulfur the grapevines early in the season to prevent the spread of powdery mildew."
Word Nuance & Usage
While "sulfur" is the standard spelling in American English and has been adopted internationally by IUPAC for scientific use, "sulphur" remains widely used in traditional British English.
• Rhymes for sulfur
Word Origin & Etymology
From Latin 'sulfur' (also historically spelled 'sulpur' and 'sulphur'), of unknown ultimate origin, possibly from an Indo-European root meaning 'to burn'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.