phosphate rock
noun
: a rock that consists largely of calcium phosphate usually together with other minerals (such as calcium carbonate), is used in making fertilizers, and is a source of phosphorus compounds
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The facility is making fertilizer out of phosphate rock. 
Li Cohen, CBS News, 7 Dec. 2021 When a factory is being demolished, a body encased in phosphate rock is discovered seated at a table with ten objects spread out on it. Grrlscientist, Forbes, 9 Nov. 2021 The Piney Point site started as a phosphate rock processing business run by a few companies since the 1960s before eventually being owned by the Mulberry Corporation under the name Piney Point Phosphates, according to 2004 congressional testimony. Nick Valencia, CNN, 6 Apr. 2021 Simply extracting more phosphate rock might not solve all of our problems, Cordell says. Julia Rosen, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2021 The dam at the Piney Point phosphate plant stores phosphogypsum, what remains after the processing of mined phosphate rock, along with its wastewater. Steven H. Emerman, Star Tribune, 18 Apr. 2021 The local public safety department warned the leak could cause a collapse of nearby phosphogypsum stacks, waste that is created during fertilizer production and phosphate rock mining. Aj Willingham, CNN, 7 Apr. 2021 In 2013, about 90 percent of phosphate rock was used in fertilizer manufacture. Scott Travis, sun-sentinel.com, 3 Apr. 2021 Other massive formations of phosphate rock have since been identified in the American West, China, the Middle East, and northern Africa. Julia Rosen, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2021 See More
Li Cohen, CBS News, 7 Dec. 2021 When a factory is being demolished, a body encased in phosphate rock is discovered seated at a table with ten objects spread out on it. Grrlscientist, Forbes, 9 Nov. 2021 The Piney Point site started as a phosphate rock processing business run by a few companies since the 1960s before eventually being owned by the Mulberry Corporation under the name Piney Point Phosphates, according to 2004 congressional testimony. Nick Valencia, CNN, 6 Apr. 2021 Simply extracting more phosphate rock might not solve all of our problems, Cordell says. Julia Rosen, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2021 The dam at the Piney Point phosphate plant stores phosphogypsum, what remains after the processing of mined phosphate rock, along with its wastewater. Steven H. Emerman, Star Tribune, 18 Apr. 2021 The local public safety department warned the leak could cause a collapse of nearby phosphogypsum stacks, waste that is created during fertilizer production and phosphate rock mining. Aj Willingham, CNN, 7 Apr. 2021 In 2013, about 90 percent of phosphate rock was used in fertilizer manufacture. Scott Travis, sun-sentinel.com, 3 Apr. 2021 Other massive formations of phosphate rock have since been identified in the American West, China, the Middle East, and northern Africa. Julia Rosen, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
1869, in the meaning defined above