Sulfate
/ˈsʌl.feɪt/noun
A salt or ester of sulfuric acid containing the sulfate ion.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin *sulfur*, the same root behind the old hellish association of brimstone, long before modern chemistry gave sulfate its scientific meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Latin
Latin
sulfur
“Sulfur, the yellow burning element associated with brimstone.”
Late Latin
Latin
sulphuratum / sulfatum
“Something treated with sulfur or made into a sulfur compound.”
Early Modern French
French
sulfate
“A salt of sulfuric acid.”
18th Century
English
sulfate
“A salt derived from sulfuric acid.”
Modern English
English
sulfate
“A salt or ester of sulfuric acid containing the sulfate ion.”