Dictionary

Baldwin's phosphorus en · NOUN

Meanings

1. (obsolete, uncountable) A poorly-characterized phosphorescent substance obtained by heating calcium nitrate.
   • Baldwin's phosphorus is prepared by melting nitrate of lime in a crucible or ladle for about ten minutes; it is then poured into an iron pot, or mould, previously heated, and has the property, like Canton's phosphorus, of absorbing light when exposed to the sun, and emitting it when taken into a darkened room. 1861, John Henry Pepper, The Playbook of Metals: Including Personal Narratives of Visits to Coal, Lead, Copper, and Tin: