Meanings
nounpolyphosphate (plural polyphosphates)
plural polyphosphates
- chemistryany of a class of inorganic polymers containing linked phosphate groups; the low molecular weight polymers, such as sodium tripolyphosphate, are used in water softening and as food additives
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*pleh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*polh₁ús
- Ancient Greekπολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)
- Englishpoly-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰéh₂os
- Proto-Hellenic*pʰáwos
- Ancient Greekφᾰ́ος (phắos)
- Ancient Greekφῶς (phôs)
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰer-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰéreti
- Proto-Hellenic*pʰérō
- Ancient Greekφέρω (phérō)
- Ancient Greekφωσφόρος (phōsphóros)
- Latinphōsphorus
- Frenchphosphore
- Frenchphosphate
- Englishphosphate
- Englishpolyphosphate
Translations
Catalan polifosfat
- polifosfatclass of inorganic polymers
Esperanto polifosfato
- polifosfatoclass of inorganic polymers
Finnish polyfosfaatti
- polyfosfaatticlass of inorganic polymers
Romanian polifosfat
- polifosfatclass of inorganic polymers
Spanish polifosfato
- polifosfatoclass of inorganic polymers
Cite this entry
APA
polyphosphate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polyphosphate
MLA
“polyphosphate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polyphosphate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “polyphosphate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polyphosphate.
Source: polyphosphate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.