pH

1 of 2

noun

: a measure of acidity and alkalinity of a solution that is a number on a scale on which a value of 7 represents neutrality and lower numbers indicate increasing acidity and higher numbers increasing alkalinity and on which each unit of change represents a tenfold change in acidity or alkalinity and that is the negative logarithm of the effective hydrogen-ion concentration or hydrogen-ion activity in gram equivalents per liter of the solution
also : the condition represented by a pH number

PH

2 of 2

abbreviation

1
pinch hit
2
public health
3
Purple Heart

Examples of pH in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This is because lower gastric pH facilitates better iron absorption. Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024 Then several sample portions are measured for nutrient content, pH and organic matter. Lauren David, Washington Post, 13 Nov. 2023 Soil pH is defined as the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2023 That is, assuming the watering issue, pH, sun and everything else is right. oregonlive, 16 Sep. 2023 Sensors constantly monitor the pH, auto-adjust the temperature, and instantly detect issues like botulism, then send information back to an app on your phone. Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 15 Aug. 2023 According to Pauline Jose, MD, a clinical instructor at UCLA and founder of pH Drip Lab, this is standard practice. Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 31 July 2023 These cables carry sensors to measure water temperature and sea currents, as well as oxygen and pH levels. Dhananjay Khadilkar, Ars Technica, 31 Mar. 2023 Those extreme conditions, according to cosmetic chemist Krupa Koestline, include salinity, pH, drought, temperature, and irradiation. Marci Robin, Allure, 29 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pH.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

German, from Potenz power + H (symbol for hydrogen)

First Known Use

Noun

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pH was in 1909

Dictionary Entries Near pH

Cite this Entry

“PH.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pH. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

: a number used in expressing acidity or alkalinity on a scale whose values run from 0 to 14 with 7 representing neutrality, numbers less than 7 increasing acidity, and numbers greater than 7 increasing alkalinity
also : the condition represented by such a number

Medical Definition

ph

1 of 2 abbreviation
1
pharmacopoeia
2
phosphor
3
phot

pH

2 of 2 noun
: a measure of acidity and alkalinity of a solution that is a number on a scale on which a value of 7 represents neutrality and lower numbers indicate increasing acidity and higher numbers increasing alkalinity and on which each unit of change represents a tenfold change in acidity or alkalinity and that is the negative logarithm of the effective hydrogen-ion concentration or hydrogen-ion activity in gram equivalents per liter of the solution
instead of saying that the concentration of hydrogen ion in pure water is 1.00 x 10−7, it is customary to say that the pH of pure water is 7Linus Pauling
also : the condition represented by such a number compare pk

More from Merriam-Webster on pH

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