Wiktionary
n. (context chemistry English) The most common allotrope of phosphorus; a yellow-white waxy solid that is insoluble in water and spontaneously combusts on exposure to air to form clouds of phosphorus pentoxide; used as a military smokescreen and as an incendiary weapon.
Usage examples of "white phosphorus".
They jump back as if the letter were a specimen of white phosphorus that had suddenly burst into flame.
I told you some of the guys had thrown white phosphorus grenades and the place was burning.
The rounds hit just in front of the troops, and sprayed them with the furiously burning white phosphorus.
Soap, water softener, odds and ends, some pieces of magnesium scrap, and finally a small bottle of waxy, white phosphorus.
I propose that when we hit them with the artillery, mortar and rocket barrage we drench them with thermobarics and white phosphorus and burn up all the oxygen in the air.
Surrounding the central ball of explosive was layer after layer of notched steel wire and white phosphorus.
He fired a second round, a WP, and saw the flash as the furiously burning white phosphorus rained down on half a dozen of the Iraqi shooters out front.
The Germans put up some resistance, mainly artillery using white phosphorus shells.
From other high rat-holes actual fire was tossed down in the forms of white phosphorus and flaming, oil-soaked, resin-hearted bundles of rags, while from various low golden rat-holes, noxious vapors brewed in the sewers were bellows-driven.