noun a substance once believed to exist in all combustible materials and to be released during combustion
In the field of chemistry, phlogiston was a substance believed to be released during combustion and was thought to be responsible for properties such as heat and color in materials.
In alchemy, phlogiston was sometimes associated with the concept of a vital force or essence within materials.
In the history of science, phlogiston theory was a prominent concept in the 17th and 18th centuries, before the discovery of oxygen, to explain combustion and other chemical processes.
In historical linguistics, the term 'phlogiston' may be used as an example of a scientific concept that was later disproven or replaced by more accurate theories.
In the field of historical fiction, writers may use the concept of phlogiston as a plot device or element of world-building in stories set in the 18th century or earlier.
Phlogiston was a theory in early chemistry that has since been disproven, but it is still used in the history of science to discuss the development of modern chemistry.
Historians of science may study the concept of phlogiston as an example of a scientific theory that was eventually replaced by more accurate models.