fosfato
phosphate
noun fohs-FAH-toh Rare
Origin: From French phosphate, from Greek phosphoros (light-bearing).
Usage Note
Fosfato refers to a phosphate salt or ester, essential in biology (ATP, DNA backbone) and used as a fertilizer component. In everyday life, fosfatos appear in fertilizer bags and detergent labels. The element is fósforo (phosphorus); fosfato is the derived ionic compound. Plural fosfatos is regular.
Examples
"Los fosfatos del fertilizante contaminan los ríos."
Natural Translation
The phosphates in the fertilizer contaminate rivers.
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