<B>phosphine, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a colorless, extremely poisonous gas, a phosphorus hydride, with an odor like that of garlic or decaying fish. It is spontaneously inflammable in air. <DD><B> 2. </B>any one of various organic compounds derived from this gas. <DD><B> 3. </B>an acridine dye. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphinic">
<B>phosphinic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of or having to do with phosphine. <DD><B> 2. </B>derived from phosphine. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphite">
<B>phosphite, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a salt or ester of phosphorous acid. </DL>
<B>phosphocreatine, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an energy-giving substance in muscle tissue, consisting of creatine and phosphoric acid. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphoglycericacid">
<B>phosphoglyceric acid,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a phosphate of glyceric acid in two isomeric forms, that is an intermediate compound in carbohydrate metabolism. </DL>
<A NAME="phospholipid">
<B>phospholipid, </B>noun. =phosphatide.</DL>
<A NAME="phosphonium">
<B>phosphonium, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a univalent radical analogous to ammonium. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphoprotein">
<B>phosphoprotein, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any one of a group of proteins, as caseinogen, consisting of a simple protein combined with some phosphorus compound other than nucleic acid or lecithin. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphopyruvicacid">
<B>phosphopyruvic acid,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a phosphate of pyruvic acid that is an intermediate compound in the reversible conversion of glycogen to lactic acid. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphor">
<B>phosphor, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a substance which gives off light when exposed to certain types of energy, such as ultraviolet rays or X rays. Phosphor is widely used in fluorescent lamps and television tubes. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Obsolete.) phosphorus. <DD><I>adj. </I> (Obsolete.) phosphorescent. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphor">
<B>Phosphor, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the morning star; Venus (when appearing at or just before sunrise). </DL>
<A NAME="phosphorate">
<B>phosphorate, </B>transitive verb, <B>-rated,</B> <B>-rating.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to combine or impregnate with phosphorus. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphorbronze">
<B>phosphor bronze,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a hard, tough bronze containing less than one per cent of phosphorus, used especially in marine propellers and fittings. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphoresce">
<B>phosphoresce, </B>intransitive verb, <B>-resced,</B> <B>-rescing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to be luminous without noticeable heat. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphorescence">
<B>phosphorescence, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act or process of giving out light without burning or by very slow burning that seems not to give out heat. <BR> <I>Ex. The phosphoresence of fireflies is also called bioluminescence.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the light given out in this way. <DD><B> 3. </B>the property of a substance that causes this. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Physics.) light given out by a substance as a result of the absorption of certain rays, such as X rays or ultraviolet rays, and continuing for a period of time after the substance has ceased to be exposed to these rays. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphorescent">
<B>phosphorescent, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> showing phosphorescence. <BR> <I>Ex. A phosphorescent jewel gives off its glow and color in the dark and loses its beauty in the light of day (Atlantic).</I> adv. <B>phosphorescently.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="phosphoreted">
<B>phosphoreted</B> or <B>phosphoretted, </B>adjective. =phosphureted.</DL>
<A NAME="phosphoric">
<B>phosphoric, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having to do with or containing phosphorus, especially with a valence of five. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphoricacid">
<B>phosphoric acid,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a colorless, odorless acid containing phosphorus, obtained chiefly by the decomposition of phosphates, and used in making fertilizers, and as a reagent; orthophosphoric acid. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=metaphosphoric acid.</B> <DD><B> 3. </B><B>=pyrophosphoric acid.</B> </DL>
<B>phosphorite, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a mineral, a noncrystallized variety of apatite. <DD><B> 2. </B>any variety of phosphate rock. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphoritic">
<B>phosphoritic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with phosphorite. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphorolysis">
<B>phosphorolysis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> chemical decomposition in which the elements of phosphoric acid are taken up by a compound. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphorolytic">
<B>phosphorolytic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or producing phosphorolysis. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphoroscope">
<B>phosphoroscope, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an apparatus for observing and measuring the duration of phosphorescence caused by rays of light or other energy. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphorous">
<B>phosphorous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having to do with or containing phosphorus, especially with a valence of three. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=phosphorescent.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="phosphorousacid">
<B>phosphorous acid,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a colorless, unstable, crystalline acid obtained from phosphorus by oxidation and by other methods. Its salts are phosphites. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphorus">
<B>phosphorus, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a solid nonmetallic chemical element which exists in several forms different in physical and chemical properties but not in kind of atoms. The most common form is a yellow, poisonous, waxy substance, which burns slowly at ordinary temperatures and glows in the dark. Another common form is a reddish-brown powder, nonluminous, nonpoisonous, and less flammable. <BR> <I>Ex. No animal or plant can exist without phosphorus, and of all the substances necessary for plant growth, compounds containing available phosphorus are the most likely to be deficient (W. R. Jones).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a phosphorescent substance. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphorus32">
<B>phosphorus 32,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a radioisotope of phosphorus used in biological research and medical therapy. It has been applied to the study of bone metabolism, employed as a radioactive tracer to measure the distribution and absorption of phosphorus in plant growth, and used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphorylase">
<B>phosphorylase, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an enzyme which assists in the formation of glucose (in the form of a phosphate) from glycogen and a phosphate. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphorylate">
<B>phosphorylate, </B>transitive verb, <B>-ated,</B> <B>-ating.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to convert into a phosphorus compound. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphorylation">
<B>phosphorylation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> conversion into a phosphorus compound. <BR> <I>Ex. The mitochondria are the site of oxidative phosphorylation, which is themain mechanism by which the energy of respiration is stored (Scientific American).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="phosphureted">
<B>phosphureted</B> or <B>phosphuretted, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> combined with phosphorus. </DL>
<A NAME="phosphuretedhydrogen">
<B>phosphureted hydrogen,</B> =phosphine.</DL>
<A NAME="phossyjaw">
<B>phossy jaw,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> necrosis of the jawbone or teeth, caused by continued inhalation of phosphorus vapors. </DL>
<A NAME="phosvitin">
<B>phosvitin, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a phosphoprotein contained in the yolk of eggs. </DL>
<A NAME="phot">
<B>phot, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a centimeter-gram-second unit of illumination, equivalent to one lumen to a square centimeter. </DL>
<B>photic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of or having to do with light. <DD><B> 2. </B>relating to the production of light by organisms, or to their stimulation under the influence of light. </DL>
<A NAME="photics">
<B>photics, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the science of light and its intrinsic properties (sometimes used instead of <I>optics,</I> when optics is restricted to the science of light as affecting vision). </DL>
<A NAME="photino">
<B>photino, </B>noun, pl. <B>-nos.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Nuclear Physics.) a hypothetical particle which, according to the theory of supersymmetry, is a weakly interacting form of the photon. <BR> <I>Ex. If there are a large number of photinos floating around the cosmos, the sun's gravity would continually draw some of them to its interior (Science News).</I> </DL>
<B>photo-,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (combining form.) <DD><B> 1. </B>light. <BR> <I>Ex. Photometer = an instrument that measures light.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>photographic or photograph. <BR> <I>Ex. Photoengraving = photographic engraving.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="photoactinic">
<B>photoactinic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> giving off rays that produce chemical changes in objects irradiated, especially blue light or ultraviolet rays. </DL>
<A NAME="photoactivate">
<B>photoactivate, </B>transitive verb, <B>-vated,</B> <B>-vating.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to activate by photocatalysis. </DL>
<A NAME="photoactivation">
<B>photoactivation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> activation through photocatalysis. </DL>
<A NAME="photoautotroph">
<B>photoautotroph, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an autotroph that obtains its nourishment and energy from light. <BR> <I>Ex. The majority of blue-green algae are aerobic photoautotrophs: their life processes require only oxygen, light, and inorganic substances (Scientific American).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="photoautotrophic">
<B>photoautotrophic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> providing its own nourishment and obtaining energy from light. <BR> <I>Ex. Most algae are photoautotrophic.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="photobiological">
<B>photobiological, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with photobiology or biological processes, such as photosynthesis, using radiant energy. adv. <B>photobiologically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="photobiology">
<B>photobiology, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the branch of biology dealing with the relation of light or radiant energy to biological processes, such as photosynthesis. noun <B>photobiologist.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="photobiotic">
<B>photobiotic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (of an organism) needing light, especially sunlight, to live or thrive. </DL>
<A NAME="photobotany">
<B>photobotany, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the branch of botany that studies the effects of light on plants. </DL>
