Meanings
phosphor1
plural phosphors · alternative archaic phosphore
- countableuncountablechemistryAny of various compounds of transition metals or of rare earths that exhibit phosphorescence.
- countableobsoleteuncountablechemistryPhosphorus.
- countableobsoleteproper noununcountableThe planet Venus, when appearing as a morning star
Phosphor2
- alternativeAlternative spelling of Phosphorus (“the planet Venus, as the morning star”).
All night no ruder air perplex Thy sliding keel, till Phosphor, bright As our pure love, thro’ early light Shall glimmer on the dewy decks.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto IX”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC1 more example
Anna likened you to Phosphor, the morning star, and herself to Hesper, the mortal star of evening, and when I told her those twin stars were one and the same, and not a star at all but the planet Venus,[…]
1960, John Barth, The Sot-Weed Factor, Garden City, NY: Doubleday, →OCLC, page 518
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
From Medieval Latin phosphorus.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian фосфоресцент
- фосфоресцент (fosforescent)compound exhibiting phosphorescence
Finnish loisteaine
- loisteainecompound exhibiting phosphorescence
German Leuchtstoff
- Leuchtstoffcompound exhibiting phosphorescence
Greek φώσφορος
- φώσφορος (fósforos)compound exhibiting phosphorescence
Polish luminofor
- luminoforcompound exhibiting phosphorescence
Cite this entry
phosphor. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phosphor
“phosphor.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phosphor. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phosphor,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phosphor.
Source: phosphor on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.