phlogistian

English

Noun

phlogistian (plural phlogistians)

1. A believer in the existence of phlogiston.
   • 1810, George Wilson, “General Sketch of Cavendish's Scientific Researches and Discoveries”, in The Life of the Hon^ble Henry Cavendish, page 39:

     It [air] was liable, according to the phlogistians, to vitiation, by the addition to it of phlogiston, […]

   • 2007, Charles Mollan, “William Higgins (1763-1825)”, in It's Part of What We Are (Science and Irish Culture; 3), volume 1, Dublin: Royal Dublin Society, →ISBN, page 236:

     Bryan Higgins was a "phlogistian", while William, correctly as it turned out, didn't believe in the concept.

Adjective

phlogistian (not comparable)

1. Of or pertaining to phlogiston or phlogiston theory.
   • 1894 July 13, “Notices of Books”, in William Crookes, editor, The Chemical News and Journal of Physical Science, volume 70, number 1807:

     In Davy's time it was still necessary in considering any novel fact to keep the phlogistian hypothesis in view, and to demonstrate its inability to explain the new discoveries.

Synonyms

• phlogistic

Antonyms

• antiphlogistian
• antiphlogistic

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for “phlogistian”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.)