sb. Chem. Also sulfate, sulphat. [ad. F. sulphate (De Morveau, etc., Nomenclature chimique, 1787), ad. mod.L. sulphātum (sc. acidum ACID), f. sulphur: see SULPHUR, -ATE1 1 c.]
1. A salt of sulphuric acid: usually with term indicating the base, as sulphate of ammonia, of lime, potassium sulphate.
1790. Kerr, trans. Lavoisier’s Elem. Chem., 224. Hence the neutral salt in which the metal is least oxydated must be named sulphite, and that in which it is fully oxydated must be called sulphat.
1791. W. Hamilton, Berthollet’s Dyeing, I. I. I. iii. 63. Sulphat of copper.
1794. Phil. Trans., LXXXIV. 395. Sulphate of iron (green vitriol).
1799. Med. Jrnl., I. 87. Epsom salts, or sulphat of Magnesia.
1809. Phil. Trans., XCIX. 151. The sulfate of potass decomposes the phosphate of barita.
1815. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, II. 470. The sulphates are in general crystallizable.
1831. Davies, Mat. Med., 331. The sulphates of zinc and copper … are occasionally used as powerful emetics.
1866. Roscoe, Elem. Chem., ix. 89. Hydrocyanic acid mixed with water distils over, leaving potassium sulphate in the retort.
1877. Huxley, Physiogr., 120. Such permanent hardness [of water] is due to the presence of sulphate of lime.
1890. F. Taylor, Man. Pract. Med., 747. Sulphates.—These are precipitable by barium chloride.
attrib. 1803. Med. Jrnl., X. 499. I have tried the sulphat of soda poultice.
1856. Orr’s Circ. Sci., Pract. Chem., 76. The sulphate solution.
1884. Knight, Dict. Mech., Suppl. 874/1. Sulphate of Mercury Battery.
2. ellipt. = Sodium sulphate. Also attrib.
[1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 355/1. The manufacture of soda ash,… the … sulphate, sulphite, and others.]
1900. Westm. Gaz., 29 Dec., 9/2. A fire at the sulphate works of the West Hartlepool Gas Company.
Hence Sulphate v. intr., to become sulphated.
1898. A. Treadwell, Storage Battery, 240. The plates will be found to sulphate more rapidly, and the sulphate will be harder to reduce.
