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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
In 1991 the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines blasted more than 15 million tons of sulfur dioxide 21 miles high.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 7 Sep. 2024
These regions, which have rapidly industrialized over the past four decades, have seen a two- to fourfold increase in sulfur dioxide and black carbon emissions since the 1970s.
—Veerabhadran Ramanathan, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2016
In 2022, a company called Make Sunsets began doing small launches, deploying biodegradable balloons full of helium and sulfur dioxide that burst in the stratosphere.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 7 Sep. 2024
Thankfully, there has been only one death from a worker falling into a crack while two other people have been injured from inhaling sulfur dioxide gas and unauthorized hiking onto the lava fields at night.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 30 Sep. 2024
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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 22 Nov. 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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