What does sulfur mean?
Sulfur is a pale yellow, nonmetallic chemical element whose symbol is S and whose atomic number is 16. It occurs naturally in minerals such as pyrite and sulfate deposits, and it is also present in many proteins and other organic compounds. In everyday language, sulfur can mean sulfur dioxide or another sulfur-based fumigant, and “sulfur yellow” is a vivid yellow color or pigment. The element is an important raw material in the manufacture of sulfuric acid and fertilizers, while sulfur compounds contribute to the smell of rotten eggs, volcanoes, and some industrial processes. The word is especially familiar through environmental discussions of sulfur emissions and through the contrast between the US spelling “sulfur” and the traditional British spelling “sulphur.”
A pale yellow, nonmetallic chemical element, symbol S, atomic number 16, found in minerals and organic compounds; by extension, a sulfur-based fumigant or sulfur yellow pigment.
"Sulfur compounds are present in many foods and biological molecules."
The chemical element is usually a mass noun. “Sulphur” is the traditional British spelling, while “sulfur” is standard in US English.
To fumigate something with sulfur or sulfur compounds.
"The conservators sulfured the old textiles to control insects."
This verb is relatively uncommon and is mainly used in specialist contexts involving preservation or fumigation.
Usually a mass noun; the plural is uncommon and may refer to separate quantities or samples of sulfur.
"Samples of the two sulfurs were compared in the laboratory."
The element sulfur gave its name to a signature bright yellow color, sulfur yellow, while also playing an essential role in the chemistry of life.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sulfur come from?
The English word sulfur comes through Old English from Latin sulphur, a term for the substance and also for sulfur fumes or volcanic gases. The spelling with “ph” reflects the established British form, while the spelling with “f” became standard in US English and is now also widely accepted in Britain. The name belongs to a wider family including sulfurous, sulfuric, and sulfate, all based on the same Latin element.
Related word forms
How sulfur is actually used
As a chemical element, sulfur is normally treated as a mass noun, although “sulfurs” can refer to separate amounts or samples. “Sulphur” is the traditional British spelling; “sulfur” is now also standard in British English.
Easily confused with sulfur
“Sulfur” is the standard US spelling, while “sulphur” is the traditional British spelling and remains widely used in Britain and other Commonwealth countries.