The story
From meta- + phosphoric acid.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Today it means: an anhydrous form of phosphoric acid that exists as a polymeric glassy solid, (HPO₃)ₙ; used as a drying agent and in dental cement Full definition →
From meta- + phosphoric acid.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.