any compound containing phosphorus, used in industry or for helping plants to grow 磷酸盐;磷酸酯 phosphate-free washing powder 无磷洗衣粉 the use of nitrates and phosphates to fertilize the soil 使用硝酸盐和磷酸盐给土壤施肥
Oxford Collocations DictionaryPhosphate is used before these nouns:- fertilizer
Word Originlate 18th cent.: from French, from phosphore ‘phosphorus’.