SULPHUR

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does sulphur mean? 

• SULPHUR (noun)
  The noun SULPHUR has 1 sense:

1. an abundant tasteless odorless multivalent nonmetallic element; best known in yellow crystals; occurs in many sulphide and sulphate minerals and even in native form (especially in volcanic regions)

  Familiarity information: SULPHUR used as a noun is very rare.

• SULPHUR (verb)
  The verb SULPHUR has 1 sense:

1. treat with sulphur in order to preserve

  Familiarity information: SULPHUR used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SULPHUR (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An abundant tasteless odorless multivalent nonmetallic element; best known in yellow crystals; occurs in many sulphide and sulphate minerals and even in native form (especially in volcanic regions)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

atomic number 16; S; sulfur; sulphur

Hypernyms ("sulphur" is a kind of...):

chemical element; element (any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sulphur"):

brimstone; native sulfur; native sulphur (an old name for sulfur)

Holonyms ("sulphur" is a substance of...):

sulfide; sulphide (a compound of sulphur and some other element that is more electropositive)

oil of vitriol; sulfuric acid; sulphuric acid; vitriol ((H2SO4) a highly corrosive acid made from sulfur dioxide; widely used in the chemical industry)

Derivation:

sulphur (treat with sulphur in order to preserve)

sulphuric (of or relating to or containing sulfur)

sulphurous (of or related to or containing sulfur or derived from sulfur)

• SULPHUR (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Treat with sulphur in order to preserve

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

sulfur; sulphur

Context example:

These dried fruits are sulphured

Hypernyms (to "sulphur" is one way to...):

process; treat (subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

sulphur (an abundant tasteless odorless multivalent nonmetallic element; best known in yellow crystals; occurs in many sulphide and sulphate minerals and even in native form (especially in volcanic regions))

 Context examples 

Dorset in the UK is home to highly acidic sulphur streams that host bacteria which thrive in extreme conditions.

(Red Planet May Have Harbored Life in Past, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Se-Methyl-seleno-L-cysteine (MSC) is an amino acid analogue of cysteine in which a methylselenium moiety replaces the sulphur atom of cysteine.

(Methylselenocysteine, NCI Thesaurus)

Changes in the output or proportions of different gases - such as carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide – can herald shifts in the activity of a volcano.

(Size matters: if you are a bubble of volcanic gas, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The detected amounts of hydrogen, oxygen and sulphur are similar to those found in the deep atmospheric layers of icy, giant planets like Neptune and Uranus.

(First Giant Planet around White Dwarf Found, ESO)

Trees are particularly good at filtering air pollutants such as ozone, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which come from cars and roadworks.

(People Living Near Parks in Cities Less Likely to Face Early Death, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Involved in many detoxifying processes, sulphur provided by methionine protects cells from pollutants, slows cell aging, and is essential for absorption and bio-availability of selenium and zinc.

(Methionine, NCI Thesaurus)

The amino acid methionine with selenium substituting for the sulphur moiety.

(L-Selenomethionine, NCI Thesaurus)

These follow-up observations confirmed the presence of hydrogen, oxygen and sulphur associated with the white dwarf.

(First Giant Planet around White Dwarf Found, ESO)

The chemical balance of volcanic gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide (or sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide) is generally thought to be controlled by the chemistry of the surrounding liquid magma but what the new findings showed is that when bubbles get large enough, most of the gas inside follows its own chemical pathway as the gas cools.

(Size matters: if you are a bubble of volcanic gas, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)