Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A salt, ester, or anion of phthalic acid.
  • noun Any of a group of esters of phthalic acid that are widely used in the manufacture of plastics and as synthetic additives in perfumes and cosmetics. These chemicals have been linked to reproductive and hormonal abnormalities in animals, including humans.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Chem.) A salt of phthalic acid.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun chemistry any salt or ester of a phthalic acid

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[phthal(ic acid) + –ate.]

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Examples

  • The best treatment for any exposure to dibutyl phthalate is water.

    Glow Jewelry 2010

  • Dibutyl phthalate is not a poison; it is an irritant.

    Glow Jewelry 2010

  • We're talking about chemicals John called phthalate and they're what makes plastic bendy, so they're in all sorts of products.

    CNN Transcript Jun 13, 2008 2008

  • One was a phthalate, which is a controversial chemical found in many plastics and other materials and that might harm to the hormone balance in humans.

    Latest Science News Features, Blog Entries, Column Entries, Issues, Articles and Book Reviews Science News 2010

  • The small study in a German hospital suggests a chemical known as a phthalate, used in some intravenous feeding bags and tubing, may raise preemies 'chances for liver damage.

    unknown title BY LINDSEY TANNER 2009

  • Phthalate 4,5-dioxygenase 1.14.12.7 1 Nomenclature EC number 1.14.12.7 Systematic name phthalate, NADH: oxygen oxidoreductase (4,5-hydroxylating) Recommended name phthalate

    Recently Uploaded Slideshows arab2000.forumpro.fr@slideshare.net(arab2000.forum 2009

  • The small study in a German hospital suggests a chemical known as a phthalate, used in some intravenous feeding bags and tubing, may raise preemies 'chances for liver damage.

    WESH.com - Local News 2009

  • The small study in a German hospital suggests a chemical known as a phthalate, used in some intravenous feeding bags and tubing, may raise preemies 'chances for liver damage.

    Original Signal - Transmitting Buzz 2009

  • The small study in a German hospital suggests a chemical known as a phthalate (THOWL'-ayt), used in some intravenous feeding bags and tubing, may raise preemies 'chances for liver damage.

    unknown title 2009

  • percent of a kind of phthalate that has been permanently banned, as well as another 9.8

    msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines 2010

Comments

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  • Wow. Cool word.

    I know it doesn't quite belong, but I'm putting it on my "How to Spell Plththththth" list anyhow.

    October 16, 2007

  • I like words that start off with a raspberry.

    October 16, 2007

  • *wipes face*

    October 16, 2007

  • So, the ph is silent?

    October 17, 2007

  • It is silent (ˈtha-ˌl�?t), but it's more fun to say when you try and work it in.

    October 17, 2007