English

Noun

white phosphorus ‎(uncountable)

1. (chemistry) The most common allotrope of phosphorus; a yellow-white waxy solid that is insoluble in water and spontaneously combusts on exposure to air to form clouds of phosphorus pentoxide; used as a military smokescreen and as an incendiary weapon.

Synonyms

• icy noctiluca
• yellow phosphorus

Translations