aluminum sulfate

noun

: a white salt Al2(SO4)3 usually made by treating bauxite with sulfuric acid and used in making paper, in water purification, and in tanning

Examples of aluminum sulfate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Blue and purple varieties of big leaf and mountain hydrangeas can benefit from the application of aluminum sulfate during bud development in May to boost flower color. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2025 Now, a research center in Florida is planning to test another Lake Guard formula, which uses aluminum sulfate rather than hydrogen peroxide, in Lake Jesup, a 16,000-acre lake in Seminole County that faces multiple harmful algal blooms each year. Diana Kruzman, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of aluminum sulfate was in 1868

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Cite this Entry

“Aluminum sulfate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aluminum%20sulfate. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

aluminum sulfate

noun
: a white salt made from bauxite and used in making paper, purifying water, and tanning

Medical Definition

aluminum sulfate

noun
: a colorless salt Al2(SO4)3 that is a powerful astringent and is used as a local antiperspirant and in water purification

More from Merriam-Webster on aluminum sulfate

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