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# sulfur

«sulfur» in Mova's school dictionary: **a chemical element, a yellow non-metal with the symbol S…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (sulfur — uncountable; UK also sulphur); adjective sulfurous/sulphurous, sulfuric/sulphuric

### meaning for a pupil

1) (science) Sulfur is a chemical element, a yellow non-metal with the symbol S and atomic number 16. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sulfur/#m1)

2) When it burns or forms some compounds, it makes a smell like rotten eggs. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sulfur/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In science lessons, sulfur is found near volcanoes and hot springs as yellow crystals; it is used to make sulfuric acid, matches, rubber and fertilisers. In the Bible, "fire and brimstone" — brimstone is an old word for sulfur — is used for God's punishment. The rotten-egg smell is actually from a sulfur compound, hydrogen sulfide.

### examples

- Sulfur is a bright yellow element. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sulfur/#x1)
- Yellow sulfur crystals form around volcanoes. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sulfur/#x2)
- The hot spring smelt of sulfur, like rotten eggs. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sulfur/#x3)
- Sulfur's chemical symbol is S. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sulfur/#x4)
- Matches contain sulfur. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sulfur/#x5)
- (Bible) "Brimstone" is an old name for sulfur. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sulfur/#x6)
- Our bodies need a little sulfur, found in eggs and onions. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sulfur/#x7)

### note

Spelling: "sulfur" is the scientific standard (IUPAC) and the US spelling; "sulphur" is the traditional British, Irish, Australian and NZ spelling, still common. Both are correct. Pure sulfur does not smell much; its compounds do.

### In the corpora

- [Volcanoes release gases such as water vapour, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, and their sulfur gases can smell of rotten eggs.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/geography/46-volcanoes-how-and-where/13/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «sulfur» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sulfur/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.