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sulfur dioxide
noun
: a heavy pungent toxic gas SO2 that is easily condensed to a colorless liquid, is used especially in making sulfuric acid, in bleaching, as a preservative, and as a refrigerant, and is a major air pollutant especially in industrial areas
Examples of sulfur dioxide in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Estimated plume height from the sulfur dioxide measurements of the Ruang eruption on April 17, 2024.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024
Maricopa County county regulates facilities that have the potential to emit chemicals such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and more, according to Ari Halpert, communications department officer with the Maricopa County Air Quality Department.
—Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 1 Apr. 2024
It's believed that the fire released the potentially harmful gas sulfur dioxide, but officials have not released results of measurements taken from air monitoring equipment that were deployed Wednesday night.
—CBS News, 23 Nov. 2023
Officials told reporters Thursday that the evacuation order was advised because the fire from the derailment was causing a lot of smoke, which meant that people would be able to smell the sulfur dioxide in the air and experience symptoms as a result.
—Natalie Kainz, NBC News, 23 Nov. 2023
For example, oxygen can form from sulfur dioxide, which abounds on worlds as diverse as Venus and Europa.
—Elise Cutts, WIRED, 7 Apr. 2024
According to the Environmental Protection Agency website, sulfur dioxide can cause respiratory problems, depending on the concentration and length of exposure.
—CBS News, 23 Nov. 2023
One scenario is that volcanoes release chemical compounds called phosphides, which could react with sulfur dioxide in Venus’ atmosphere to form phosphine — a plausible explanation given that scientists have found evidence of active volcanism on our twin planet.
—Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024
Scientists think sulfurous compounds such as sulfur dioxide might have played a key role on early Earth that eventually paved the way for life to form.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sulfur dioxide.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1869, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near sulfur dioxide
Cite this Entry
“Sulfur dioxide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sulfur%20dioxide. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
sulfur dioxide
noun
: a heavy strong-smelling gas that is used especially in making sulfuric acid, in bleaching, in preserving things, and as a refrigerant and that is a major substance in air pollution especially in industrial areas
Medical Definition
sulfur dioxide
noun
: a heavy pungent toxic gas SO2 that is easily condensed to a colorless liquid, is used especially in making sulfuric acid, in bleaching, as a preservative, and as a refrigerant, and is a major air pollutant especially in industrial areas
More from Merriam-Webster on sulfur dioxide
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sulfur dioxide
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