superphosphaten.
/ˈsuːpəˌfɒsfeɪt/, /ˈsjuːpəˌfɒsfeɪt/, U.S. /ˈsupərˌfɑsˌfeɪt/ 1. Chemistry. A phosphate containing an excess of phosphoric acid; an acid phosphate. Now disused except in superphosphate of lime, calcium superphosphate: cf. sense 2.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > chemistry > chemical substances > salts > [noun] > salts named by atomic number > phosphates or phosphites > specific named
microcosmic salt1770
superphosphate1798
oxyphosphate1815
hypophosphite1818
thorina1818
tri-phosphate1823
bone phosphate1834
phosphate1849
triple phosphate1857
hypophosphate1864
trimethyl-phosphine1866
hexametaphosphate1891
trimetaphosphate1894
triose phosphate1934
1798 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 88 17 It was..Scheele who discovered, that the urine of healthy persons contains superphosphate, or acidulous phosphate, of lime.
1811 A. T. Thomson London Dispensatory iii. 468 By the strong acids it [sc. phosphate of soda] is converted into superphosphate of soda.
1843 W. Hay in Farmer's Mag. Jan. 42/2 By the action of sulphuric acid on bones a superphosphate of lime is produced.
1876 J. Harley Royle's Man. Materia Med. (ed. 6) 62 When the superphosphate is heated with charcoal, tribasic phosphate is re-formed, and phosphoric acid set free.
1920 H. N. McCoy & E. M. Terry Introd. Gen. Chem. (ed. 2) 96 In order to make it available it is treated with sufficient sulfuric acid to convert it into Ca(H2PO4)2, usually known as calcium superphosphate, which is soluble in water.
1941 G. E. Whitehead Plain Veg. Growing ii. 41 Some [onion growers] mix together 3 lb. superphosphate of lime and 1½ lb. nitrate of soda and scatter it over 30¼ square yards of ground about a fortnight before sowing seed.
2005 T. V. R. Pillay & M. N. Kutty Aquaculture 132 Media containing 300mg/l ammonium sulphate and 50mg/l calcium superphosphate have also been used successfully.
2. Agriculture and Horticulture. A fertilizer consisting chiefly of calcium dihydrogen phosphate (Ca(H2PO4)2), typically prepared by treating phosphate rock, guano, bones, etc., with sulphuric acid.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > preparation of land or soil > fertilizing or manuring > [noun] > chemical fertilizer > specific
manure1744
plaster of Paris1787
superphosphate1843
nitrate1846
super1891
Nitragin1896
complete fertilizer1904
nitrolime1908
Nitrochalk1927
Sequestrene1949
Krilium1952
1843 Agric. Jrnl. (Montreal) 1 261/1 Farmers must take care what they buy as superphosphate, a sample having been recently brought me that was quite insipid.
1869 Ann. Rep. Commissioner Agric. 1868 221 in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (40th Congr., 3rd Sess.: House of Representatives Executive Doc.) XV A hundred and fifty to a hundred and seventy-five pounds of superphosphate strewn in the furrows to be ridged over.
1929 H. A. A. Nicholls & J. H. Holland Text-bk. Trop. Agric. (ed. 2) i. vii. 64 It has been found by experience that the application of phosphatic manures to a worn-out pasture will soon restore it to a luxuriant condition. The principal phosphatic manures are bones, superphosphates, and reduced phosphates.
1992 W. T. Parsons & E. G. Cuthbertson Noxious Weeds Austral. 92/1 It is important to maintain the vigour of lucerne by restricting grazing in the first year and by regular topdressing with superphosphate.
2006 Our Canada Apr. 43/3 If your soil is too heavy or too light, dig very well-rotted manure, composted leaves, or other organic matter into the planting bed. Also work in some bone meal or superphosphate.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1798