Phrase guide

white phosphorus

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The most common allotrope of phosphorus; a yellow-white waxy solid that is insoluble in water and spontaneously combusts on exposure to air to form clouds of phosphorus pentoxide; used as a military smokescreen and as an incendiary weapon.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: ağ fosfor — most common allotrope of phosphorus
  • Chinese Mandarin: 白磷 (báilín) — most common allotrope of phosphorus
  • Chinese Mandarin: 黃磷 /黄磷 (huánglín) — most common allotrope of phosphorus
  • Cornish: fosforùs gwynn — most common allotrope of phosphorus
  • Czech: bílý fosfor — most common allotrope of phosphorus
  • Dutch: witte fosfor — most common allotrope of phosphorus
  • Finnish: valkoinen fosfori — most common allotrope of phosphorus
  • German: weißer Phosphor — most common allotrope of phosphorus
  • Lithuanian: baltasis fosforas — most common allotrope of phosphorus
  • Pashto: سپين فاسفورس — most common allotrope of phosphorus
  • Russian: бе́лый фо́сфор (bélyj fósfor) — most common allotrope of phosphorus
  • Swedish: vit fosfor — most common allotrope of phosphorus
  • Ukrainian: бі́лий фо́сфор (bílyj fósfor) — most common allotrope of phosphorus
  • Welsh: ffosfforws gwyn — most common allotrope of phosphorus