sulfur

B2 Topic:Chemistry

Also spelled sulphur

US /ˈsʊl.fə/ UK /ˈsʌl.fə/ See IPA manual

Freq #17888

Meanings

1

noun
A bright yellow chemical element (symbol S) with a strong smell, used in matches, gunpowder, and many industrial products.

The air near the volcano smelled strongly of sulfur.
2

verb
To treat something with sulfur, especially to preserve food or protect crops from pests.

Farmers often sulfur the vines to keep insects away.
3

adj
Of a yellowish-green colour, like sulfur.

The bird had bright sulfur feathers on its chest.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a bright yellow chemical... brimstonesulphur

2 verb · to treat something with... sulphur

Word family

Forms sulfurssulphurs

Derived forms biosulfurcatenapolysulfurdesulfurdesulphurdisulfurdisulphurdisuprazolehydrodesulfurizationhydrohydrodesulphurisationhydrohydrodesulphurizationlow-sulfurlow-sulphur

Related forms desulfurizedesulphurisedesulphurizedisulfotonsolfatarasulfasulfanesulfatasesulfatesulfatedsulfidesulfite

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

sulfur bacteria
bacteria associated with the transformation of sulfur compounds

Noun + noun

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin sulpur Latin sulfur Latin sulphur Anglo-Norman sulfrebor. Middle English sulphur English sulfur From Middle English sulphur, borrowed from Anglo-Norman sulfre, from Latin sulfur, from sulpur itself of uncertain origin. Displaced Old English swefl and largely displaced brimstone.

sulphur Middle English sulfre xno sulfur Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Chemistry Science & Research

External links

# sulfur

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb, adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈsʊl.fə/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈsʌl.fə/
**Frequency rank:** 17888

## Meanings
1. A bright yellow chemical element (symbol S) with a strong smell, used in matches, gunpowder, and many industrial products.
2. To treat something with sulfur, especially to preserve food or protect crops from pests.
3. Of a yellowish-green colour, like sulfur.

## Examples
- The air near the volcano smelled strongly of sulfur.
- Farmers often sulfur the vines to keep insects away.
- The bird had bright sulfur feathers on its chest.

## Derived Forms
- biosulfur
- catenapolysulfur
- desulfur
- desulphur
- disulfur
- disulphur
- disuprazole
- hydrodesulfurization
- hydrohydrodesulphurisation
- hydrohydrodesulphurization
- low-sulfur
- low-sulphur

## Related Forms
- desulfurize
- desulphurise
- desulphurize
- disulfoton
- solfatara
- sulfa
- sulfane
- sulfatase
- sulfate
- sulfated
- sulfide
- sulfite

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: sulphur
- Root: sulfre
- Root: sulfur

## Etymology
Etymology tree Latin sulpur Latin sulfur Latin sulphur Anglo-Norman sulfrebor. Middle English sulphur English sulfur From Middle English sulphur, borrowed from Anglo-Norman sulfre, from Latin sulfur, from sulpur itself of uncertain origin. Displaced Old English swefl and largely displaced brimstone.

## AI Etymology
Sulfur is from Middle English sulphur, borrowed from Anglo-Norman sulfre, from Latin sulfur, from sulpur itself of uncertain origin. Displaced Old English swefl and largely displaced brimstone. In present-day use, it can mean a bright yellow chemical element (symbol S) with a strong smell, used in matches, gunpowder, and many industrial products, or to treat something with sulfur, especially to preserve food or protect crops from pests.

## Topics
- Chemistry
- Science & Research

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