n. & v. (US sulfur)
n. 1 a a pale-yellow non-metallic element having crystalline and amorphous forms, burning with a blue flame and a suffocating smell, and used in making gunpowder, matches, and sulphuric acid, in the vulcanizing of rubber, and in the treatment of skin diseases. °Symb.: S. b (attrib.) like or containing sulphur. 2 the material of which hell-fire and lightning were believed to consist. 3 any yellow butterfly of the family Pieridae. 4 a pale greenish yellow colour.
v.tr. 1 treat with sulphur. 2 fumigate with sulphur. sulphur candle a candle burnt to produce sulphur dioxide for fumigating. sulphur dioxide a colourless pungent gas formed by burning sulphur in air and used as a food preservative. sulphur spring a spring impregnated with sulphur or its compounds. sulphury adj.
[ ME f. AF sulf(e)re, OF soufre f. L sulfur, sulp(h)ur ]