noun
brimstone
BRIM-stohn/ˈbrɪmstəʊn/
Sulfur, a combustible yellow chemical element.
The rough specimen of brimstone is bright yellow beside its powdery fragments.
Etymology
The compound literally presents sulfur as a “burning stone,” joining its burning character with its solid mineral form. Once an ordinary name for sulfur, brimstone now survives chiefly in biblical usage.
In context
there's widespread mention of sulfur the biblical brimstone when dealing with the occult in medieval europe
More examples
- The preacher's sermon warns of fire and brimstone.
- A pungent smell rose from the burning brimstone.
- The novel describes a landscape of smoke and brimstone.
Forms
brimstone
Similar words
- sulfur
- Sulfur is the modern chemical name; brimstone is an older name with strong religious associations.