fluoride

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)A binary compound of fluorine and another element or radical.
2. (countable, uncountable)A binary compound of fluorine and another element or radical.

   “However, too much fluoride produces a mottling effect on teeth. Large doses of fluoride are actually toxic.”

   “The public health practice of adding fluoride to water supplies faces new scrutiny as a few recent reports raise concerns about potential health risks and suggest the benefits may not be as significant as they once were.”

   “McCoy’s team, including 66 researchers across four continents, found the salt and minerals left behind as water on Bennu, or its larger parent asteroid, evaporated. The minerals include sodium phosphates, carbonates, sulfates, chlorides and fluorides, some of which are necessary to the formation of life.”

3. (countable, uncountable)The anionic form of a fluorine atom.