Phlogiston
/fləˈdʒɪs.tən/noun
A former scientific term for a hypothetical substance once believed to be released during combustion.
Did you know?Phlogiston theory was a major pre-chemistry framework in the 17th and 18th centuries, and its collapse helped make modern chemistry possible when oxygen-based combustion replaced it.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
phlóx (φλόξ)
“flame, blaze”
17th Century
Latin/Neo-Latin
phlogistos
“burnt, combustible”
1667
German
Phlogiston
“the fire-principle released by burning”
18th Century
English
phlogiston
“hypothetical substance emitted in combustion”
Modern English
English
phlogiston
“obsolete historical term for a supposed fire substance”
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