phosphate

Etymology

From French phosphate. By surface analysis, phosph(orus) + -ate (“salt or ester of an acid”)

noun

1. (chemistry) Any salt or ester of phosphoric acid.
2. (agriculture) Any fertiliser containing phosphate compounds.
3. Guano (containing high levels of phosphates and harvested for the fertiliser industry).
4. (US, regional, dated) A carbonated soft drink containing phosphoric acid, often flavored with a fruit-based syrup.
   An egg phosphate is a phosphate to which an egg has been added in the proper manner. While an egg phosphate can be flavored with any syrup that makes a good phosphate, still the standard flavor by long usage has com to be orange […] 1920, Irving P. Fox, The Spatula, page 27
   “This man here,” she said, “can make you a cherry Coke or a chocolate Coke or a phosphate — a chocolate phosphate or. “Vanilla phosphate,” the man helped, “cherry phosphate, orange phosphate, lime phosphate, lemon phosphate, 2002, Michael Raleigh, In the castle of the Flynns, page 180
   You order California burgers for us both, even though I don't eat lettuce or tomato, then you order me a phosphate, cherry, a dreadful fizzy drink you say you always loved. It's bitter, bubbly, unbearable; but, thirsty for your past, force myself to drink it. 2008, Kathryn Kysar, Riding shotgun: women write about their mothers, page 106

verb

1. To treat or coat with a phosphate or with phosphoric acid