phosphine

noun

phos·​phine ˈfäs-ˌfēn 

1

: any of various derivatives of phosphine analogous to amines but weaker as bases

2

: a colorless poisonous flammable gas PH₃ that is a weaker base than ammonia and that is used especially to fumigate stored grain

Examples of phosphine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At the surface, acetylene, hydrogen sulfides and phosphine molecules brush the planet into varied swirls that ring the planet. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 May 2024

When phosphine was detected on Venus, scientists didn’t know of any ways it could be produced on a lifeless rocky world. —Elise Cutts, WIRED, 7 Apr. 2024

The phosphine not only wasn’t a signal of life, but probably wasn’t even there at all, a swing-and-a-miss of data interpretation. —Jaime Green, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2023

The aluminum phosphide is alleged to have been activated by moisture to create the gas phosphine, which traveled to Fatiha’s apartment above. —Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 19 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Medical Definition

phosphine

noun

phos·​phine -ˌfēn 

1

: a colorless poisonous flammable gas PH₃ that is a weaker base than ammonia and that is used especially to fumigate stored grain

2

: any of various derivatives of phosphine analogous to amines but weaker as bases