sulfur
noun /ˈsʌlfə(r)/
/ˈsʌlfər/
(US English) (British English sulphur)
[uncountable] (symbol S)
- a chemical element. Sulfur is a pale yellow substance that produces a strong unpleasant smell when it burns and is used in medicine and industry. The spelling sulfur has been adopted by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and by the Royal Society of Chemistry in the UK. However, sulphur still remains the usual spelling in British, Irish, South African and Indian English. Both spellings are used in Canadian, Australian and New Zealand English.